Council scraps needle bins, sparking safety warning

A national harm-reduction body has warned South Gippsland Shire Council it cannot walk away from public safety as it prepares to tear out its community sharps bins and hand needle disposal to the health sector.

Council said it would conclude its Community Sharps Program on June 30, with the service shifting to other providers within the health sector.

It said the program started in 2001 as a partnership with local health services but over time council had become its sole funder and provider.

A council review had found community sharps disposal was not typically a core council service and was more commonly managed through the health system, council said.

Council said that from July 1 the bins in Foster, Korumburra, Leongatha, Mirboo North, Nyora and Tarwin Lower would be removed and temporary signs installed directing people to participating Needle and Syringe Program locations, while wall safes in public toilets would stay.

But the Penington Institute, a Melbourne-based drug harm-reduction organisation that runs Australia's Annual Overdose Report and leads International Overdose Awareness Day, has warned council it cannot step back from public safety.

Chief executive John Ryan OAM said sharps disposal might not be a core council service but protecting public safety certainly was.

"If disposal options become less accessible or people are unclear about where to safely dispose of used needles, there is a greater risk that sharps could be discarded in public places such as parks, beaches or public toilets," Mr Ryan said.

"That poses a risk to everyone."

Mr Ryan said pulling the bins out was not enough on its own and council had to actively manage the changeover.

"If councils are removing public sharps disposal bins, they should also take proactive steps to minimise the risk of discarded needles while the new arrangements are established," he said.

"That means increasing monitoring of known hotspots and ensuring prompt retrieval of discarded sharps during the transition period."

He said council also had to spell out exactly what shifting responsibility to the health sector meant.

"Will disposal be available through pharmacies, hospitals, needle and syringe programs, or another service? People need to know where they can safely dispose of used sharps," he said.

Mr Ryan said anyone who found a discarded needle should not touch it and should call the statewide sharps disposal hotline or council so it could be collected safely.

He said the chance of contracting HIV from a discarded syringe was extremely low but anyone who suffered a needlestick injury should seek medical advice immediately.

Council chief executive Allison Jones said the program was originally a shared initiative with local health services before council became its sole provider and funder.

"Benchmarking confirmed that sharps disposal services are generally delivered through the health sector, which is better equipped to provide the clinical oversight, infrastructure and long-term service delivery required," Ms Jones said.

Ms Jones said the bins in the six towns had also suffered ongoing vandalism, misuse and illegal dumping and now needed replacing to meet compliance requirements at an estimated $10,000 each.

"This is in addition to the ongoing operational costs of the program. Given all of this, council has decided the time is right to exit the service," Ms Jones said.

A council spokesperson said there would be no gap in service because participating providers were already on the state's Needle and Syringe Program list and other services could join if eligible.

The spokesperson said council had warned local health services to expect higher demand and had asked practitioners to speak to patients about the change.

"Council will also monitor these areas for any dumping, and will take any necessary actions as we always have if a report is made," the spokesperson said.

A full list of disposal sites is available at health.vic.gov.au and at southgippsland.vic.gov.au/sharps.