Victoria’s police union boss Wayne Gatt says injecting room will ‘kill’ city

The Andrews government has received a key report into Victoria’s first injecting room as the state’s police union boss says opening a second facility is “how you kill” the city.

A key report into Victoria’s first supervised injecting room has been quietly handed to government.

The Herald Sun can reveal the much-anticipated review into the North Richmond facility was given to the government last month, almost two months later than expected.

Mr John Ryan was appointed chair of a new panel charged with reviewing the Medically Supervised Injecting Room in 2020.

“The Victorian government has received the Ryan Report into the Medically Supervised Injecting Room and is currently considering its recommendations,” a spokesman said.

“The report will be released publicly in the usual way.”

An initial review of the state’s first injecting room recommended extending the North Richmond trial by another three years and setting up a second safe injecting room in the City of Melbourne.

Legislation will need to be put to parliament before June 30 to extend the current trial.

A preferred site for the potential second injecting room has not yet been revealed by the government.

Wayne Gatt says he believes the long-awaited report into potential locations for a second injecting facility had been received by government. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

It comes as the boss of Victoria’s police union says opening up a new injecting room in Melbourne is “how you kill” the city.

Wayne Gatt on Thursday said he believed the long-awaited report into potential locations for a second injecting facility had been received by government.

The report — carried out by former top cop Ken Lay — was due to be completed by 2021 but has been significantly hampered due to the pandemic.

The Andrews government has again delayed Mr Lay’s report, confirming that his work had been extended until the middle of the year.

But Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday said the government hadn’t been given a report.

“There’s been no recommendations about a second facility in the city yet because Mr Lay’s report is not finalised,” he said.

Mr Gatt said the Andrews government needed to provide answers to the community about the report, adding that Mr Lay “is not the sort of bloke who will wait endlessly”.

“They need to get on with it and tell the community what they’re doing,” he told 3AW.

Mr Gatt said he didn’t support a second drug injecting facility in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.

“It’s an emphatic no,” he said.

“It is not what the City of Melbourne does need at the moment.

“Today, business leaders are talking about how do we put the pizzazz back into Melbourne and how do we make it more magnetic.

“This is how you kill it. This is what you will see when you get off the train at Flinders St — people peddling drugs, people dealing drugs and (people) sloped in gutters. That’s not what you need.”

Mr Andrews said the changing behaviour of drug users in the CBD — largely due to the Covid pandemic — had delayed the report.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas ‘misspoke’ when he was talking about the report. Picture: David Geraghty

“It’s about who is coming into the city, where in the city, how many (people),” the Premier said.

“All of those things are different today than they were, and therefore choosing a site that is appropriate or indeed choosing whether there will be a site — all of that is on the table.

“It may well be that there are new patterns of behaviours which are directly relevant to try to deal with that community and provide the safest environment, as well as pathways to treatment and therapy. This is just a common sense approach.”

Mr Gatt said the evolving factors post Covid should prompt the government not to act.

“If the landscape is changing so much that government needs to constantly hit the pause button then the message there is don’t do it,”’he said.

Mr Andrews said a decision to build a second facility would ultimately rest with government.

“With the greatest of respect to Ken Lay, he’s not the decision-maker here … When we get Ken Lay’s report in the middle of the year, the government will make decisions and we will share those decisions with you,” he added.

It comes after Treasurer Tim Pallas on Wednesday morning admitted the government had received a report from Mr Lay and that it was sent back to be updated.

The Andrews government has delayed former top cop Ken Lay’s report into the location of a new injecting facility. Picture: NCA NewsWire

But more than five hours later, Mr Pallas issued a statement claiming that he “misspoke” when he said the government had obtained the final report.

“I referred to interim briefings the government has received – which have been publicly referenced previously. These formed the basis for an extension of Mr Lay’s work,” he said in the statement.

“The government requested Mr Lay extend his work until mid-2023, and we have not received the final report.

“I apologise for the error and any confusion.”

Mr Pallas had earlier said the government had “absolutely” received the report when asked on Wednesday.

“Absolutely — Mr Lay provided us with a report and the government is considering that report together with seeking to update that report,” he said.

“It may be that Mr Lay’s advice around those changed circumstances is the subject of further advice.

“We will release our decision around that report once we’ve had the opportunity to update it.”

Mr Lay’s report was expected to be finished in 2021 but was significantly delayed due to pandemic restrictions.

A government spokesman on Tuesday evening said shifting patterns of drug harms in the CBD prompted an extension of Mr Lay’s work until mid-2023.

“We know the pandemic has significantly changed aspects of the CBD, including population, foot traffic, drug harm, the types of drugs people buy, and where they consume them and homelessness patterns,” he said.

A trial of an injecting room in Richmond is due to expire this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said: “The Treasurer has let truth slip, accidentally telling Victorians Lay’s report and Labor’s well-progressed plans for a second injecting room in Melbourne’s CBD.”

“Business owners have every right to know what locations have been short-listed by Lay in his interim reports, and particularly, if Lay has recommended against a second injecting room for Melbourne’s CBD.”

Ms Kealy said the report must be released to the public.

“Lay’s report was expected 796 days ago and since then the government has purchased a building and advertised jobs, yet Lay’s interim and final reports are still being kept secret from the people who will be most impacted,” Ms Kealy said.

“Victorians can see straight through Daniel Andrews’ spin. It is unacceptable – and quite unbelievable – that an independent report by a former police Chief Commissioner would be delayed by two-and-a-half years.

“This report has been shrouded with secrecy, and, it seems, the scope expanded until the Andrews Labor government can find any skerrick of data to justify pushing ahead with a Melbourne CBD injecting room.