Yarra seeks support of councils in push for safe injection room trial

THE City of Yarra wants statewide support from fellow councils to pressure the state government for a trial of a safe drug injection room in North Richmond.

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THE City of Yarra wants statewide support from fellow councils to pressure the state government for a trial of a safe drug injection room in North Richmond.

Yarra has proposed a motion to be put to the Municipal Association of Victoria’s state council on October 20.

Yarra Mayor Amanda Stone said heroin overdoses were a matter of public health that was not isolated in inner Melbourne.

Yarra City Council Mayor Amanda Stone wants other councils to support the push for a trial of a safe injection room in North Richmond. Pic: AAP

“We have so many people dying on the street and the State Government is not acting on all the advice that we have to have a medically supervised injecting facility.’’

Cr Stone said the state government’s intransigence was “unacceptable”.

Last year, 172 Victorians died of heroin overdoses. Of those, 34 deaths occurred within two streets in North Richmond.

Resident Derek Troy-West and other residents are angry at the syringes and other rubbish dumped in their street. Picture: David Caird

“A medically supervised injecting facility in Richmond is overwhelmingly supported by health experts, emergency services, the Victorian Coroner, the City of Yarra, as well as many local residents and traders; yet the state government is refusing to endorse a trial,’’ the motion says.

Last year, 172 Victorians died of heroin overdoses. Of those, 34 deaths occurred within two streets in North Richmond, many in public places such as car parks, alleyways and parks.

Supporters for an injection room point to the success of the Kings Cross centre in Sydney which has managed 6000 overdoses without one death in the past 15 years.

Tributes left for a woman found dead, believed to be from an overdose, off Victoria St. Picture: David Caird

A spokeswoman for mental health minister Martin Foley said drug addiction was complex with no single solution.

“The government has no plans to introduce a safe injecting facility in Victoria,” she said.

A recent parliamentary inquiry, led by Reason Party MP Fiona Patten, stopped short of recommending an injection centre, despite most evidence supporting it.

Ms Patten said she was yet to find an expert in the areas of drug addiction, emergency services and public health who did not support it.

It is understood a drug user died of an overdose last week in the public car park near the North Richmond public housing blocks.

@IanRoyall