THE doctor, who operates Albury’s abortion clinic, has confirmed she will resume services at the Englehardt Street rooms.
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Kathy Lewis this week returned to work at her East Melbourne clinic after an extended break due to an injury.
Her leave coincided with the NSW parliament enacting a law stopping protests within 150 metres of abortion clinics in the state.
Dr Lewis will on Saturday join a celebration being held in Albury to mark the end of a Border campaign to have safe exclusion zones adopted in NSW.
Asked when she would resume practising in Englehardt Street, Dr Lewis said “it’s a work in progress”.
Pressed further, she said it would be before the end of the year.
Dr Lewis said she doubted the 150-metre perimeter on protests would be broken by pro-lifers.
“They may send someone to be a guinea pig to challenge the legislation, but whether they do that there or in Sydney I’ve got no idea,” she said.
“It will be a relief (to have no protest).
“You don’t realise until they’re gone how much of an intrusion they are.
“Since they’ve been gone (from East Melbourne under Victorian law), I’ve thought ‘wow, this is so easy’ and the patients, they’re not feeling intimidated.”
It would also extend north along Victoria Street, which runs off Englehardt Street, to the tennis courts but stop short of Chamberlain Close.
Dr Lewis said she had not any discussions with authorities about the installation of signage around Englehardt Street to mark the safe access zone.
Albury Council staff had held talks with the city’s lawyers regarding the matter but the Public Health Act does not include provisions for signage to designate a safe access zone.
Councillors have been told police will have responsibility for prosecuting a breach of the safe access zone. Any complaints council receives will be forwarded to police.
Meanwhile, Dr Lewis will be joined by the architects of the safe access zone legislation when she attends the celebratory party being held at Beer Deluxe on Saturday afternoon.
Upper House members Penny Sharpe (Labor) and Trevor Khan (Nationals), who co-sponsored the bill, will join safe zone backers and fellow MPs Mehreen Faruqi and Leslie Williams.
Albury MLA Greg Aplin and Indi MHR Cathy McGowan are apologies for the event organised by We Need Exclusion Zones Albury Wodonga leader Liz Marmo.
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