Rehab centre at former brothel site prohibited from operating
A drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre at the site of an infamous former brothel has been shut down by authorities after a meth lab was discovered at the facility.
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The operators of a landmark brothel converted into a rehab centre have been banned from the industry.
Denise Abadee and Craig McDonald have been issued with interim prohibition by the Health Complaints Commission after a commercial scale methamphetamine lab was found at their Wellbeing Planet facility in Elsternwick.
The Wellbeing Planet, in Horne St, had previously been the Daily Planet brothel.
Three men have been charged in connection with the operation by Victoria Police’s clandestine lab squad.
Health Complaints Commissioner Karen Cusack has launched an investigation into the business.
She said Ms Abadee, Mr McDonald and the Wellbeing Planet were temporarily banned from advertising, offering or providing any general health services, including drug and alcohol treatment services.
“The safety of Victorians is my number one priority and we will continue to investigate, and where appropriate, impose prohibition orders on those general health service providers who do the wrong thing and put the Victorian public at risk”, Ms Cusack said.
The Herald Sun revealed last week that courts had released many accused drug offenders on bail on condition they were treated for their addictions at the Wellbeing Centre.
Earlier this month, officers raided the address and arrested five people — one of whom hid in the roof space for two days.
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Dozens of criminals have been bailed by the courts to the rehab clinic.
Police also say the Elsternwick centre has continued operating a brothel on the premises.
“(It’s) astonishing how this could happen,” one police source told the Herald Sun.