Major flaw with Richmond injecting room revealed

Insiders working on Melbourne’s next injecting room say they are trying to avoid emulating this major flaw at the North Richmond site.

Plans for the state’s second injecting room will be overhauled, with sources close to the project admitting the North Richmond site did not meet the needs of drug users.

The Herald Sun can reveal that not-for-profit community health organisation cohealth is likely to run the CBD injecting room, with the state government confirming it was the preferred prospective provider.

Several sources say the North Richmond site “lacked” outreach services, which has led to drug users injecting outside or near the facility.

“The second injecting room will have a holistic approach and it will be able to get right what North Richmond hasn’t, such as better outreach services,” one source said.

Internal correspondence obtained by the Herald Sun under freedom of information laws shows the Health Department held high-level discussions last year with cohealth regarding a second facility in the CBD.

The safe-injecting room in North Richmond. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“I have spoken to Ken (Lay) and cohealth … please see draft high‐level timelines attached outlining impacts, including for the legislative program and service establishment timelines,” the email said.

Emails from the department to Urbis, which was engaged to investigate safety in the CBD, highlighted “safety and amenity issues” in the Flinders quarter precinct.

“We understand that as part of your engagement with Ken and the partnership, you’ve discussed some of the known safety and amenity issues in the Flinders quarter precinct, including some early thinking of what could be considered with respect to safety and amenity,” the email said.

Flinder St has been touted as the place for the next safe injecting room. Picture: Mark Stewart

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said: “Labor must be honest with Victorians and tell voters what’s in the Ken Lay report and what they are doing with the $40m building at 244 Flinders St.

“The Liberals and Nationals have committed to establish 180 withdrawal and rehabilitation beds across the state and undertake community consultation to deliver an Australian-first hydromorphone program, which is the international gold standard of heroin treatment.”

A cohealth spokeswoman said: “A comprehensive CBD health service that offers a range of health care, homelessness and other social supports, alongside an overdose prevention service, would help people access the health and care that they need.”

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association chief executive Sam Biondo said it was important to support “holistic approaches” for drug users.

“Often the reason they’re taking the substance is because of either some ongoing pain management issue, trauma … therefore you need to work holistically with that individual,” he said.