The clowns at town hall have an absurd set of priorities when it comes to smoking bans and pushing for a safe injecting room

City of Melbourne councillors have revealed their comical incompetence by backing a drug injecting facility while at the same time wanting to extend bans on a legal product.

In what sort of clown world does a local council plan to dramatically extend smoking and vaping bans in outdoor areas at the same time it backs a drug injecting facility where illicit substances including ice and heroin are used.

The council has already banned smoking in 13 outdoor areas across the city including Bourke Street Mall, Collins Way and the Tan running tracks, but they want to extend the bans on what is a legal product.

What an absurd set of priorities for the clown councillors of town hall.

Only last week councillors left CBD traders irate after voting against a motion, put forward by the one sound councillor Roshena Campbell, demanding the release of a report into safe injecting rooms by former top cop Ken Lay which would’ve given residents and businesses some clarity about which sites have been short-listed.

The proposed CBD drug injecting facility will cater to ice and heroin users. Picture: Jason Edwards

If the City of Melbourne was trying to destroy the CBD just what would it do differently to what we have witnessed over the past three years.

Even more bike lanes?

It’s hard to imagine how they could be more hostile to motorists who want to shop or dine in the city or to restaurateurs, retailers and other traders that have managed to survive six lockdowns.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has already enjoyed a junket to balmy Singapore earlier this month and she is already looking forward to another overseas trip this time to Buenos Aires to discuss climate recovery and climate financing.

Sally Capp is heading to a junket in Buenos Aires. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Argentina trip, if approved, would cost ratepayers far less than the Singapore jaunt given the summit organisers have offered to cover the cost of Capp’s flight and accommodation.

One wonders why they’d be so generous and why any summit focused on climate change would fly mayors from around the world instead of utilising modern technology to meet virtually.

But that’s a column for another day.

The comical incompetence of the council would be amusing is so many livelihoods weren’t being destroyed.

The City of Melbourne is to good governance what the St Kilda Football Club is to premiership success.