Community outrage at proposal to extend Kirketon Rd Centre
The South Eastern Sydney Local Health Network has submitted a development application (DA) to Council on behalf of Kirketon Road Centre to extend their services and use an existing building in Potts Point as a health centre and office.
The proposed health centre, which is currently being assessed by Council, will target the public health needs of high-risk sex workers in the area and will aim to prevent HIV transmission.
According to the Plan of Management (PoM), the clinic will provide services on a drop-in and appointment basis including: general health assessments, STD testing and treatment, HIV and hepatitis testing and vaccination, pap smears, drug and alcohol counseling and access to sterile injecting equipment.
The proposed centre, located at 180 Victoria Street, Potts Point, will operate between 1.30pm and 10pm, Monday to Sundays.
But an objection to the DA, put forward on behalf the Potts Point and Kings Cross Heritage Conservation Society, argues the centre will expand drug facilities in the area and “may be stage one of a two-stage DA process for another injecting centre.”
They argue the proposal will become a “drug haven” and will increase crime and “attract those who are on drugs and/or those who deal in drugs”.
But according the PoM, it states: “there is no evidence that the operation of a Clinic of this nature increases the prevalence of injecting drug use of attracts additional people who inject drugs or related activities”.
The objection states the site is surrounded by over 1,000 apartments and residential dwellings and will have “adverse social and economic impacts caused by loitering and escalation of associated anti-social activities, especially at night.”
However, according to the submission, there will be signage, requesting people to arrive and depart quickly and in a quiet and orderly manner. It also states the Premises will not results in any significant additional noise and will be located in “the more busy more commercial part of Victoria Street”.
But according to one of the major objections put forward, the Premises is within 100 metres of major apartment blocks, the Vibe Hotel, hostels and private residences.
It points out that St Vincent’s Catholic Girls’ School, whose main entrance is in Victoria Street, is nearby and therefore “unsuitable for its intended uses”.
The objection further argues Council’s letter that states the DA is for a “Health Centre” is misleading.
It believes that the application does not meet the criteria of a “Health Centre” because it does not confirm the facility will have: a medical practitioner on site, provide any emergency medical care, will have any drugs or pharmaceuticals on site nor will it provide day surgery or x-rays.
The DA estimates that 50 patients a day will use the clinic during its operating hours and no drugs or cash will be held on the premises.
In the objection submission, concern is expressed for the lack of reference to the prohibition of drug use on the premises or how drug overdoses will be dealth with on-site.
The proposal only makes reference to disposing needles correctly.
But in 23 years’ of the Kirketon’s operation around the Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo area, less than 5 per cent of the injecting equipment dispensed from various sites of KRC’s Needle Syringe Program, are inappropriately discarded.
There has been a 30- 40 per cent decrease in all indicators of injecting drug use in Kings cross over the past 10 years.
As of Monday evening, after application submissions closed, Council had received almost 90 objections and 21 letters of support.
The City of Sydney could not comment until a decision on the proposal has been made.
There has been a 30- 40 per cent decrease in all indicators of injecting drug use in Kings cross over the past 10 years.
As of Monday evening, after application submissions closed, Council had received almost 90 objections and 21 letters of support.
The City of Sydney could not comment until a decision on the proposal has been made.
by Sophie Cousins
