Regional Victoria has only one sober centre months after public drunkenness laws axed

Just one of the eight promised sobering-up centres has been opened in regional Victoria, while Melbourne’s two sites — in St Kilda and Collingwood — are taking in an average of 2.3 drunks per day.

Just one regional sobering-up centre has opened across the state more than three months since public drunkenness laws were abolished.

The centre, in Shepparton, was one of eight regional sites promised by the state government to cater for Indigenous Victorians.

Other sites have been promised for Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Mildura, Swan Hill, the Latrobe Valley and East Gippsland.

A government spokesman confirmed none of the regional “places of safety” had opened but would do so “progressively over the coming months.”

It comes as new data reveals just 230 people have accessed sites at Collingwood and St Kilda since they opened in November.

New data reveals just 230 people have accessed sites at Collingwood and St Kilda since they opened in November. Picture: Supplied

It means an average 2.3 people a day are being seen across the two metropolitan centres.

New police data also shows of 1136 incidents since public drunkenness was repealed, just 72 people, or 6 per cent, were handed over to outreach services.

More than double that were handed to Ambulance Victoria while 15 per cent were put in a taxi or on public transport.

“With public drunkenness no longer a criminal offence, police will encourage drunk people to seek support and assistance from family or friends in the first instance,” a police spokesman said.

“There is also the option of referring them to the public intoxication response service overseen by the Department of Health.

“If a drunk person commits a criminal offence, they will be dealt with swiftly by police.”

The move to scrap public drunkenness followed a recommendation to government after the death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day in police custody in 2017.

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy says not enough is being done to cater for regional Victorians. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas on Monday dismissed claims the rollout had been a failure, saying the statistics proved it had been “a success”.

“I think that what we’ve been able to demonstrate … is the decriminalisation of public intoxication has gone very, very smoothly,” she said.

“And it’s good to know that more than 3000 people across the state have been treated or been supported via this service.”

The senior minister was unable to say when the other regional sobering-up centres would come online.

“We continue to work with our service providers,” she said.

“Outreach services are available already in some parts of the state or in many parts of the state.”

Ms Thomas said the Allan government was “confident” that the program was working as it was intended.

But opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said not enough was being done to cater for regional Victorians.

“Labor’s inability to roll out sobering centres is another example of their long list of failures,” she said.

“While it is nice for a government funded organisation to offer a free bottle of water to some, Labor is failing to provide help and safety for Victorians who find themselves in a vulnerable situation – leaving them at serious risk.

“Labor can’t manage money, and can’t provide drug and alcohol support to those who desperately need it.”

A government spokesman said outreach services were operating in regional areas.

“Victoria’s new health-led public intoxication outreach services have been running well since launching in early November 2023 with more than 3,100 Victorians (7 November – 31 January) being supported by outreach services across the state,” she said.

“The vast majority of people supported have been offered water, hot drinks or support to get home safely, while more than 230 people have been assisted at sobering centres either in St Kilda or Collingwood.”