Former premier Jeff Kennett brands Richmond injecting room a ‘foul up’

Jeff Kennett says the Andrews government’s “foul up” of Richmond’s injecting room is ruining the community’s support of another facility.

The state government’s “foul up” of the Richmond safe injecting room could stop another one being opened in the CBD, says a former premier.

Jeff Kennett said the Richmond facility, which is next to a school, had caused huge controversy.

The former Yooralla building near Flinders Street Station is being looked at for Melbourne’s second injecting room, with the city council to debate the issue on Tuesday.

Visit Victoria has been running ads in interstate newspapers promoting tourism to popular places like Degraves Street, which is on the doorstep of the favoured injecting room site.

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

Former premier Jeff Kennett branded the Richmond injecting room a ‘foul up’

Mr Kennett said he would back the site if it was modelled on the successful centre in Sydney’s Kings Cross, which was on a main road and supported by local traders.

“The question is whether Victoria can emulate that sort environment, and if they can’t, it shouldn’t be there,” he said.

“It might be that emotion associated with safe injecting facilities is running substantially higher because of the foul up in Richmond as to not allow one to be established.”

Richmond West Primary School parents association member Neil Mallet said anti-social behaviour and drug dealing outside school grounds was normal for his two children.

“They’ve had guys on ice yelling at them, someone trying to give them lollies through the front fence, they see drug deals – it’s all normalised,” he said.

City of Melbourne councillors will consider the injecting room issue on Tuesday, with council management recommending in-principle support for a centre to open in the municipality.

Council chief executive Justin Hanney said in a report that the facility must be located within a comprehensive health service.

Visit Victoria has been running ads to promote spots like Degraves Street, which is near the site of the proposed injecting room.

Richmond’s safe injecting room. Picture: Jason Edwards

It’s recommended that Lord Mayor Sally Capp write to Health Minister Martin Foley to insist

there be no impact on amenity to surrounding residents, businesses and other visitors.

But councillor Roshena Campbell wants council to consider legal and planning permit options to try to stop an injecting room anywhere in the City of Melbourne.

“Failing that, we’d like to look at what assurances they can provide around safety in the area, and what compensation they’re going to give to businesses,” she said.

“I just don’t see how we could look residents and business owners in the eye and give them comfort that any location is going to work in the City of Melbourne, particularly how it’s been disproportionately impacted by Covid.”

“People have just spent huge outlays on store interiors, and now they’re going to have a drug den out the front.”

A report by former top cop Ken Lay on the injecting room location could take up to three months to complete.

Kristiana Rushit, Dean Cherry and Corey Boardman are divided over plans for a CBD injecting room. .Picture:Rob Leeson.