Melbourne CBD supervised injecting room plans stall
A push to lock in a Melbourne CBD site for a new supervised injecting room has stalled while critics say it’s the “last thing” the city needs as it recovers from Covid.
Victoria
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A CBD building earmarked for Melbourne’s second medically supervised injecting room has been sitting vacant for months as the process to lock in a site continues to stall.
The state government bought the former Yooralla facility at 244 Flinders St early last year.
It’s understood the area is considered a top option for an injecting room given illegal drug activity in the vicinity of Flinders and Elizabeth streets.
Former top cop Ken Lay is believed to have nominated the site on a shortlist after a review of potential locations in the City of Melbourne ordered by the government.
But Mr Lay’s final report, which was expected to be finished in 2021, has been delayed due to pandemic restrictions limiting community consultation.
The city’s existing injecting room in North Richmond is near a school, and has been the subject of many complaints involving nearby drug dealing and other anti-social behaviour.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said putting a new injecting centre in the heart of the city was the “last thing our struggling CBD needs as it recovers from impacts of Covid”.
“(Premier) Daniel Andrews needs to fix the issues with his first injecting centre before considering any others,” she said.
“Frontline police, residents, traders and families are all saying the North Richmond centre is making things worse, not better, so why isn’t Daniel Andrews listening?
As first revealed by the Herald Sun in May 2021, the southern end of the city, west of Swanston Street, emerged as a likely location a second drug injecting room after it had originally flagged to be near Queen Victoria Market.
A government spokeswoman said no decision had been made regarding the final location for the medically supervised injecting room.
“With around one person a month dying from heroin overdose in the City of Melbourne, there is a real and growing need for a community health and wellbeing hub,” she said.
“A second supervised injecting service will save lives and change lives.”
The government said it had bought the Flinders St building when it came on the market because it was a valuable location for a range of potential services, including health services.
The government initially wanted the injecting facility at Drill Hall, near Queen Victoria Market, but that site was rejected due to heritage issues and City of Melbourne opposition.
Mr Lay looked at the suitability of at least 40 potential sites and then gave a short list to the government.
A Sunday Herald Sun report before Christmas revealed shocking images of blatant illegal drug behaviour in the Flinders-Elizabeth streets precinct.
Victoria Police stepped up patrols in the area, but said that homeless people meeting there couldn’t be moved on due to a lack of relevant council bylaws.
An independent review panel will deliver a final report on the Richmond injecting room trial by December 2022.
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Originally published as Melbourne CBD supervised injecting room plans stall
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