Elizabeth St ‘eyesore’ a hotspot for drugs

Melbourne’s famous Elizabeth St has become a haven for drugs and anti-social behaviour with authorities pleading for an “urgent” intervention.

There are concerns about inscreasing anti-social behaviour at a pop up park on Elizabeth St.

Melbourne’s famous Elizabeth St has become a haven for drug users and the homeless.

The key central business district boulevard is now home to daytime drug users who have been photographed using bongs as the city tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sunday Herald Sun photographed a series of confronting scenes in the south end of the street, near a council-funded public space that had been set up to be “one of the safest entry points to the city’’.

Concerns about anti-social behaviour at the hub opposite Flinders Street station have become so great that discussions are being held about hosting a police or Salvation Army pop-up site in a plan supported by the City of Melbourne.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp confirmed she has contacted Police Minister Lisa Neville about the eyesore “as a matter of urgency”.

Salvation Army major Brendan Nottle said Elizabeth St was “now known as a hot spot for drug purchasing and drug use”.

A man pictured on Elizabeth St with a bong in his hand.

A group of people who appear to be sleeping rough openly take drugs and drink alcohol.

The Sunday Herald Sun witnessed beggars smoking bongs and tobacco pipes, urinating in Flinders Court behind Elizabeth St and dealing what appeared to be drugs in a back alley.

The increased drug usage and homelessness comes as the state government, council and traders have all been trying desperately to get Melburnians to return to the city for Christmas and work.

“We’ve got real concerns about that area,” Maj Nottle said, stating that people had been seen openly using bongs and ice pipes.

Maj Nottle said the Salvos had also witnessed increasing violence – a fortnight ago, volunteers rushed to the aide of a rough slepper involved in a fight with a man, believed to be in the area to source drugs.

“He glassed the rough sleeper, who ended up in a serious condition in hospital,” he said.

And early on Saturday morning, volunteers found a man near the hot spot who was “in a bad way” and took him straight to hospital.

Maj Nottle said the area had “gotten worse”, with people traveling into Elizabeth St from the suburbs for drugs.

“It’s almost a perfect storm – rough sleepers, an increase in drugs use, residents and an increase in foot traffic as people come into the city,” Maj Nottle said.

“The city is fragile – I think we need to do anything we can to reduce barriers to come in.”

Earlier this year Melbourne City council spent $2.4 million to rejuvenate the southern end of Elizabeth St, installing fake grass and seating so people could experience a “safer, cleaner, and more inviting space’’.

There are increasing concerns about anti-social behaviour on Elizabeth St.

People sleeping rough near the corner of Elizabeth and Flinders streets.

The project, which created a basketball-sized park with trees and street furniture, took four years to complete due to a series of delays.

But instead of an inner city oasis, the area has become a quagmire of anti-social behaviour and drug taking.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the physical appearance of city’s critical entry point had been “significantly improved”.

However, the section of the CBD was “now being negatively impacted at certain times because of anti-social behaviour”.

“I have raised the issue with local police many times over the past year and while the situation did temporarily improve during the recent lockdown, we’ve received feedback from city businesses and residents that the area has deteriorated over the past few weeks as the city has reopened,” she said.

“We really need support from the state government to maintain the safety and amenity of the area, and ensure everyone can continue to enjoy our wonderful city.

“As Melbourne opens up, we want to put the best version of our city on show. I have contacted Minister for Police Lisa Neville about this as a matter of urgency.”

Police Minister Lisa Neville said:

“While it’s great to see people getting out and about after lockdowns and returning to Melbourne’s CBD, we don’t want to see anti-social behaviour and criminal activity and won’t tolerate it – anyone participating in this kind of behaviour will be held to account by police.”

“I have responded to Lord Mayor Sally Capp and given her my assurance that Victoria Police are on top of the situation and their targeted operations will continue to keep anyone in the CBD safe,” Ms Neville said.

The State Government had provided almost $500,000 in community crime prevention funding to the City of Melbourne this year.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said Operation Protocol, run in conjunction with the Salvation Army, was specifically working to curb anti-social behaviour around Elizabeth, Swanston and Bourke streets.

“We understand it would be confronting to witness incidents of criminal activity or anti-social behaviour,” she said.

“If members of the public do witness any criminal or anti-social behaviour, or are concerned for their safety, we urge them to contact Triple Zero (000) for an immediate police attendance.”

The force had also established My City, an operation to hone in on anti-social activity to help people feel safe in the CBD.

Uniformed police, protective services officers, members of the public order response team, the mounted branch, the dog squad, water police and highway patrol would be working on My City.

TRADERS DEMAND ACTION

Business owners are calling for action as a haven of drug-taking in the heart of the city has sent customers scrambling from their stores.

An Elizabeth St park planned as an urban oasis has become a quagmire of anti-social behaviour and drug-taking.

Lottery shop owner Dinya Lai said “that grass just shouldn’t be there” because it attracted drug users, and people were sleeping and begging in front of her shop.

“The mess is unbelievable in the morning,” she said.

“People feel scared to come into the shop.

“They’re going around and asking customers (for money).

“We pay high rent in the city and we’re not getting the trade.

“It’s really difficult.”

The City of Melbourne transformed a lane into a fake-grass oasis earlier this year in a $2.4m project following four years of delays, claiming it would create a “safer, cleaner and more inviting space”.

Other Elizabeth St workers said they saw people smoking cannabis and using bongs on the grassed area.

One hospitality worker, who did not wish to be named, said it was a “complex situation” because while there was anti-social behaviour in the park, it was also used by people who were homeless and others.

“I think generally it is a nice place,” he said.

“I see a lot of people have picnics under the sun.”

The worker said he believed many shops had converted to open shop fronts to prevent people setting up camp in front of their businesses.