John Ibrahim campaigns to move Kings Cross injecting room

A push to boot the injecting room from its Darlinghurst Street location in Kings Cross has sparked an almighty stoush.

A push to boot the Kings Cross injecting room from its Darlinghurst Street location has sparked an almighty stoush between business leaders, Sydney City councillors and health workers.

Business and real estate figures, including “King of the Cross” John Ibrahim, are campaigning for a rethink on the future of the injecting room.

Vicki Laing, the managing director of Sydney firm Laing Real Estate, said relocating the centre should be considered as the former red light district was “no longer the old Cross”.

“For the future development of the Cross, it’d be better underground,” Ms Laing, who part-owns a site next door to the Uniting-operated heroin injection centre, told The Daily Telegraph.

The injecting room in Kings Cross. Picture: John Grainger

The resuscitation room inside the injecting room.

“It’s time to move it underground or closer to St Vincent’s Hospital. Now we’ve got an injecting room in a retail store, it doesn’t make any sense. Times have changed.”

Chair of local business chamber the Potts Point Partnership, Brandon Martignago, said there was no doubt it was “a part of Kings Cross” and had “completely improved public amenity”.

“From a business perspective, it’s really difficult because there is a stigma and a cloud of negativity with it,” said Mr Martignago.

The moves come as nightclub behemoth John Ibrahim posted on social media amid the first weekend of lockout restrictions in the area being relaxed, outlining his vision for the future of the once notorious party strip.

“Getting rid of the injecting room centre would be a good start — surely there’s a better, more suitable location,” he said.

Drug paraphernalia found in Kings Cross this week. Picture: John Grainger

More discarded drug appartus found in the area. Picture: John Grainger

However, City of Sydney Councillor Kerryn Phelps, who played a key role in establishing the centre 20 years ago as the then-president of the NSW Australian Medical Association, said “the success of the facility” speaks for itself. The injecting room has been credited with overseeing a million doses without a death.

“Kings Cross has always been an eclectic and non-judgemental area – if it is moved, I don‘t think it should be far away from where it is now,” she said.

Dr Marianne Jauncey, the medical director of the site, said any push to move the centre was “motivated by money” and was a “cheap shot” against an “essential, vital health service” which saw 130 visits on each week day just last week.