Ken Lay to begin community consultation on second injecting room

After extensive delays, former top cop Ken Lay is taking the next steps toward Melbourne’s second controversial injecting room becoming a possible reality.

Former top cop Ken Lay will finally begin community consultation as part of his long-delayed report into an injecting room for Melbourne’s CBD.

Mr Lay’s consultation, which begins on Wednesday and runs for three weeks, will survey residents on the safety and amenity of an injecting room in the CBD and current drug harms within the precinct.

He will also seek broader community views via an online survey.

Mr Lay’s report was meant to be finalised at the end of 2020, with the state government previously blaming the pandemic for its delay.

As part of his report, the state government has asked Mr Lay to lead an independent consultation to analyse harm data and seek the views of the community and key stakeholders including Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria.

The state government bought the Yooralla building opposite the railway station in 2021. Picture: Mark Stewart

It comes after a series of exclusive reports by the Herald Sun last year which detailed how high level sources confirmed that Mr Lay completed his report into injecting rooms late in 2021, but was then asked to further extend it to gather new ambulance call-out data.

It was also revealed that Mr Lay had not consulted with Victoria Police and police association secretary Wayne Gatt about a second facility since June 2021, despite claims from the state government the report into the facility was delayed due to further consultation.

City traders have long raised concerns about an injecting room in Melbourne’s CBD.

Flinders St emerged as a potential injecting room site after the government bought the Yooralla building opposite the railway station, which was listed at $45m-plus.

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said the government needed to be completely transparent with Victorians.

Former top cop Ken Lay will finally begin community consultation over the location of Melbourne’s proposed second injecting room. Picture: AAP Image

“Labor must release all Lay’s reports and briefings over the past three years, including who signed off on the premature purchase of the former Yooralla building on Degraves St before any consultation took place,” she said.

“Degraves St and CBD laneways simply will not cope with the high volume of police and ambulance attendances that Labor’s injecting room has proven to attract.

“Labor’s injecting room not only has dismally failed to deliver on its legislated KPIs, but has made the original problems much, much worse.

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer Sam Biondo said it was appropriate for Mr Lay to be engaging with the community.

“There’s a lot of negative sentiment from some quarters about drug consumption in the city, but there are also other views, and you don’t win any prizes for working out where I sit,” he said.

Degraves st traders Theo Roussos, Johnny Sandish and Tony Doherty oppose the proposed CBD injection room. Picture: Jason Edwards

“The law and order approach doesn’t work. The moving on doesn’t work.

“We need to confront the stark reality that these people have complex circumstances and provide services which help them.

“We either do something about it or we are going to start stepping over more bodies. People aren’t going to go away, they have nowhere to go.”

A state government spokeswoman said Mr Lay was leading the community consultation and Engage Vic survey which formed part of his “ongoing independent consultation”.

“No decision has been made regarding the final location for the service, or the model of care,” she said.

“Community feedback will help inform Mr Lay’s advice to government.”

The government requested Mr Lay extend his work until about mid-2023.