24 Feb 2010

Hastings addiction treatment centre plan scrapped

12:38 pm on 24 February 2010

Plans to set up a residential addiction treatment centre in the Hastings suburb of Mahora have been abandoned.

A Hawke's Bay District Health Board proposal to convert a former rest home into a an alcohol and drug addiction facility, to accommodate for 20 people, was approved by the local council in August last year.

However residents opposed to the idea lodged an appeal to the Environment Court.

The board's chief operating officer, Warwick Frater, says the facility was designed to be a stop-gap measure for people needing help while the Springhill addiction centre in Napier underwent a two-year upgrade.

Mr Frater says the Board has now decided the project is not feasible because of the length of time and cost of an Environment Court hearing.