The operators of the long-standing methadone clinic at the western edge of Wollongong’s CBD have applied for the council’s permission to relocate the service.
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The application – on exhibition until March 2 – seeks the consent for a “change of use” to allow a cottage known as Gladstone House to become a methadone clinic and drug and alcohol counselling centre.
The new proposed site – which neighbours a long-vacant development site – is 130 metres from the existing clinic at 49 Denison Street.
The current site was sold in May last year to a group named Wollongong Investments No.2 Pty Ltd.
According to the clinic owners, there will be “no unreasonable environmental or amenity impacts”.
In documents lodged with council, they note that car parking already exists on the Gladstone Avenue site, and that the proposed change of use will require only an internal reconfiguration to accommodate the clinic.
The service will operate under the same hours as the Denison Street clinic – 6am to 1.15pm weekdays and 7-11am weekends.
“The existing Denison Street Clinic was approved by council and established in 1994, and not only provides methadone treatment, but also provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation and counselling services to the Illawarra community to assist clients to recover from the psychological and physical effects of their addictions,” the applicants said.
They have cited a 2007 study which concluded that the overall community benefit of the clinic “in terms of both community health and crime prevention strategies would seem to outweigh any negative outcome to the local area”.
The last time changes to the clinic were considered by Wollongong City Council was 2008, when the opening hours were extended.
Then, the council received 182 pro-forma submissions and 16 individual objections.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
