State opposition moves to formally halt public drunkenness reforms amid sobering-up centre delay

Victoria’s opposition says drunk people could be lured into fake white vans posing as health outreach services as it calls on the government to delay its new public drunkenness laws.

The state opposition has raised fears that drunk people could be lured into fake white vans posing as health outreach services when public drunkenness laws come into effect next week.

Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin posed next to a white van that had been mocked up to look like an official vehicle that will be used by outreach service cohealth to transport intoxicated people to sobering-up centres.

“For years we’ve taught people about stranger danger. Now we’re saying when you’re drunk, it’s ok to get into white vans,” he said.

Mr Battin, who will introduce a private members Bill into parliament calling on the government to delay its new public intoxication legislation, said there had been little information about what the changes will look like.

“We know the government’s chaotic response to this has meant they are not ready and not prepared,” he said.

“Our main concern is community safety.”

Opposition leader John Pesutto meanwhile did not attend the stunt on Tuesday morning but said he was aware of Mr Battin’s attendance.

Asked if he supported Mr Battin’s stranger danger concerns, Mr Pesutto said: “Nobody outside of an obvious demonstration for the purposes of media announcements should be impersonating a health worker or first responder or anyone else.”

The opposition has raised concerns over the vans to be used o transport intoxicated people to sobering-up centres. Picture: Supplied

Mr Pesutto said the bigger issue at play was that the state’s proposed health response was not ready for the law change.

“We all support the change at its heart but in terms of its implementation, it’s simply not ready,” he said.

A cohealth spokeswoman said: “Like other health services that operate out in the community, our public intoxication health workers will have official ID and uniforms which identify them.”

It comes after Mr Battin said there were serious questions about how the vans will operate.

“No one is aware of what happens and what the van does when it gets there,” he said.

Concerned local resident Sharie Harrold, who lives opposite the delayed centre on Cambridge St and organised the demonstration, said the public deserved to know how the government’s proposed health response will operate.

“We wanted to ask the minister or the government if they knew what this reform really looked like but they never bothered to talk to us,” she said.

“Will we teaching our children it’s safe to get in a white van while drunk?”

Mr Battin said posing up with the prop was not a political stunt.

And he rejected suggestions that such a move could incite people to impersonate health workers.

Brad Battin says there are serious questions about how the vans will operate. Picture: Aaron Francis

It comes after revelations a long-awaited report into Victoria’s trial sobering-up centres is yet to be completed.

Mr Battin said while the opposition supported the changes, delays in setting up the city’s first permanent sobering-up centre could not be ignored.

“The Victorian Liberals and Nationals support the decriminalisation of public drunkenness but this change must not be made until a comprehensive health response is in place,” he said.

“The Labor government has mismanaged this important reform and as a consequence, community safety is being placed at risk.

Police will be stripped of their powers to arrest intoxicated people in public spaces. Picture: Liam Kidston

“We simply cannot take away a police response until we have a full health response in place.

“The only commonsense option is to delay the implementation of these laws until the system is ready.”

Police officers are set to be stripped of their powers to arrest people who are drunk in public on Melbourne Cup Day.

Instead, people are supposed to be taken home, or cared for at sobering up centres staffed by health professionals.

A 20-bed facility in Collingwood, managed by charity cohealth, will be the only sobering-up centre in Melbourne.

But as revealed in the Herald Sun this week, the centre will not be ready in time.

Victorian Ambulance Union boss Danny Hill said the new health response model should be up and running before laws are repealed.

The state opposition will move to formally delay the Allan government’s public drunkness reform, set to come into effect on Melbourne Cup Day.

“You’ve got to know that you can swim before you take the lifejacket off,” he said.

“There seems to be a date fixed and they’re just sticking to that date no matter what. The clock is ticking now, the services need to be up and running.

“The last thing you want is for someone who refuses assistance to then meet harm an hour later. That would just be a tragic outcome.”

The state opposition has repeatedly called for the new laws to be delayed.

But on Tuesday, Jacinta Allan denied her government’s policy rollout had been messy, despite multiple delays, including in opening the city’s only sobering-up centre.

The Premier refused to back down from the controversial start date for the reforms.

“Being drunk in public should not be a crime and from next week it won’t be,” she said.

“For the vast majority of the population being intoxicated in public means that they can have the support around them to get home safe.

“(The current law) is disproportionately affecting too many Indigenous Victorians, too many vulnerable Victorians that are ending up in a jail cell.”

Jacinta Allan claims everything is on track for the opening of the sobering-up centre in Collingwood. Picture: David Crosling

But Ms Allan, who was pressed on whether the delay in opening the Collingwood sobering-up centre was another sign her government was struggling to roll out key policies on time, claimed everything was on track.

The delay comes one month after the government decided to push back its youth bail reforms to next year and less than a week after the start date for its cash for cans scheme caused mass confusion among families and businesses.

“The container scheme starts tomorrow, the bail reforms have passed through parliament,” she said.

“This is getting on with the work of government.”

Ms Allan said sobering up facilities would still be available in the coming weeks and 10 mobile units with nurses and alcohol and drug workers would be on the streets to help people get home safely

“Sobering-up facilities that are available now that will continue to be available from next week and they will be added to by the end of November,” she said.

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll was unable to estimate when the centre would be ready to open.

“We’re working very hard. I don’t want to give a firm yes but I know we’re working very hard to have Collingwood open as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr Carroll said 85 per cent of Victoria Police members had completed training for the new laws.

“We’re very confident that November 7 will pass through like any other day,” he said.

“We are very confident with the investments we’ve made.”