The Greens have called for the urgent release of a report about CBD injecting room

Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the government had received a report from a former top cop about an injecting room in Melbourne CBD but said he hadn’t read it.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has received a report from former top cop Ken Lay. Picture: David Crosling

The Andrews government has received a report from former top cop Ken Lay into an injecting room for Melbourne’s CBD.

Mr Lay’s report was meant to be finalised at the end of 2020 but the government pushed it back blaming the pandemic and changed drug user behaviour.

Debate has raged for years about a trial of a second injecting room in the CBD to work alongside the now permanent facility in North Richmond.

Mr Lay was tasked with writing the report amid concerns the area has a high proportion of heroin overdoses, but traders have railed against the facility being placed near them.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday confirmed the state had received the document and would consider it further.

“Minister (Gabrielle Williams) has received Mr Lay’s report and we’ll have more to say once Cabinet has considered it and that hasn’t occurred yet,” he said.

“I’m not going to put a date on it but we’ll do that as quickly as we can.

“I haven’t read the report nor have I been briefed on it.”

The former Yooralla building on Flinders Street was purchased to become a new safe injecting facility. Picture: Mark Stewart

The former Yooralla building on Flinders Street was purchased for $40m before community consultation took place. Picture: Mark Stewart

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said Victorians had waited more than three years for the report to be finalised and delivered.

“Why the hold up now it is finally in the Government’s hands?

“Labor must immediately release Lay’s report in full.

“Business owners and residents in Melbourne’s CBD deserve clarity and peace of mind, not more anxious delays.

“Years ago, Labor spent $40m of taxpayers’ money on an empty building near to the iconic cafe precinct of DeGraves St to operate an injecting room, well before any of Lay’s consultation ever took place.”

Victorian Greens drug harm reduction spokesman Aiv Puglielli MLC said the government should release the report as a matter of urgency.

“We need this data so that we can offer supervised injecting services where they are needed,” he said.

“People are using injectable drugs. Leaving people out in the open, without medical supervision, to use these substances will lead to more deaths and will put people and communities in harm’s way.”