Goya Dmytryshchak
Key Victorian crossbench MP Fiona Patten has called for a supervised injecting room in Footscray.
Reason Party leader Fiona Patten will on Wednesday raise the issue at a drug policy symposium in New Zealand’s federal parliament.
She has also called for centres in St Kilda and Dandenong, similar to that established in North Richmond.
“The North Richmond medically supervised injecting room has been a huge success in the time it has been open,” she said.
“It has saved dozens of lives and wrapped a bunch of other key health and social services around people that have helped them manage or break free from their addiction.
“Over 20 years ago, a government report recommended there should be five such facilities across Melbourne including in areas such as Dandenong, Footscray and St Kilda to cater for the need, a need that still unfortunately still exists today.
“I applaud the Victorian government for announcing a second facility to be based in the CBD – but we need to go further than that.
“The proposed sites would be smaller and more discreet than the controversial existing injecting room in North Richmond, and could offer fixed pill testing as well.”
Maribyrnong mayor Michael Clarke said there was no data, such as drug overdoses, to support an injecting room in Footscray.
“Council, point-blank, does not have a resolved position on a safe injecting room,” he said.
“We’ve not even received a proposal and I haven’t had the chance to even discuss this with councillors.
“It’s not been brought up with me.
“I’m driven by the data – always.
“I’m a data-driven mayor, we’re a data-driven council, and quite simply there is no data to support a safe injecting room in Footscray.”
Western Metropolitan Liberal upper house MP Bernie Finn said: “I, just a few weeks ago, was down in North Richmond listening to locals down there and their problems and let me tell you, the last thing that Footscray needs at the moment or at any time is what has happened to North Richmond, and to Victoria Street, in particular.
“The devastation that would be wrought on Barkly Street and a lot of that Vietnamese restaurant precinct would be just overwhelming.
“It would destroy it; everything that has been worked for over the past 20 or 30 years would be gone and it really, really is something that should be of grave concern.”
Acting Premier James Merlino said the state government did not support a second supervised injecting room beyond Melbourne CBD.
