Flinders Street injecting room: State government still considering sites despite Yooralla building purchase

The state government says its $40m outlay for a Flinders St building is a “really good buy” but is coy on whether the site will house an injecting room.

Victoria’s health minister has declared the $40m purchase of a Flinders Street building likely to house Melbourne’s second safe injecting room a “really good buy”.

But he can’t yet say what the building will be used for amid growing anger from traders who fear for their businesses.

The state government has confirmed it’s purchased the former Yooralla building opposite Flinders Street Station for $40.3m, but maintains multiple sites are still being considered for a city injecting room.

Documents show the property was transferred to the Secretary to the Department of Health on Tuesday.

Dohertys Gym owner Tony Doherty, who operates at the Banana Alley Vaults, said the money could have been better spent.

“I am not against them having a safe injecting room but to do it at the gateway of the city and hub of all our public transport when we're trying to attract tourism and business and entertainment back to the city is just unfathomable,’’ he said.

“I don’t know how they come up with this stuff.

Gym owner Tony Doherty, who runs Dohertys Gym, is against a likely injecting room on Flinders Street. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“They said they haven’t decided on a place and then they go and buy the Yooralla building.

“How about they take that $40m and put that into crisis accommodation, rehabilitation and doing something for the people out there that need it?”

United Backpackers general manager Alex Hill, whose business shares a wall with the Yooralla building, said: “This is a premium spot within the CBD.’’

“Would a similar facility be put in Darling Harbour in Sydney?’’ he said.

Health Minister Martin Foley said the asking price for the building was “well above” what the government paid.

It had been listed for sale at $45m-plus.

“This is a site that is in a really important and strategic location, and whatever use the Victorian government may put it to – health, education, housing, social support – it’s a really good buy for the people of Victoria,’’ Mr Foley said.

Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt likened the government’s stance to a scene from a television comedy.

“This appears to have been ripped from the scripts of Utopia,’’ Mr Gatt said.

“Does the government expect the community to believe, after talking about a heroin hotspot on Flinders Street and saying it wanted to establish an injecting room in the CBD, that it has now purchased a building in that hotspot, but hasn’t decided what it’s going to use it for?

The former Yooralla building on Flinders Street is the likely site of a new safe injecting facility. Picture: Mark Stewart

“They’ve got to stop taking the community for fools. If the government is going to press ahead with the injecting room, despite the compelling opposition from residents, traders, police and others, at least have enough respect for the community to be honest about your intentions.”

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said, like the original Queen Victoria Market site, she held reservations about putting an injecting room at 244-248 Flinders Street given its proximity to tourist destinations, vulnerable residents and the impact on businesses.

“There are many of the same issues with 244 Flinders Street and I share many of the concerns of local residents and traders,’’ she said.

“We acknowledge that medically supervised injecting services save lives but any facility in the City of Melbourne can’t cost livelihoods.”

Fellow councillor Elizabeth Doidge, a CFMEU official and ALP member, called on the government to be more open about its plans.

“Although I do agree that the community needs this service, it needs to be in a location where the whole community is taken into account,” she said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier slammed the state government for not being “truthful” with Victorians.

“We have got a secret government who are making decisions on the run and have no plan for Victoria’s economic recovery,” Ms Crozier said.

Ambulance attendances for heroin overdose in the city have increased 70 per cent in five years.