Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews committed the state government to a CBD injecting room in 2020, but on Tuesday, Premier Jacinta Allan and Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt announced that a new community health hub will open on Flinders St instead. Neven appeared on Channel 9’s Today Show on Wednesday, saying she was “furious” the government responded to concerns about the proposed second injecting site in the CBD, but have been ignoring complaints from Richmond residents.
“On a daily basis, every time I step out of my door, I have to prepare myself for either seeing an overdose or some aggressive behavior, some abuse, constant drug dealing,” Neven said. “Drug dealing every time I step out of my door. “I fear for the children who also witness this sort of thing. “It distresses me and I either come home crying or angry, or I just don’t know what to do and how to change things.”
Data on heroin-related harms in the city found overdoses had returned to pre-COVID levels. In comments published by The Age on Tuesday, Salvation Army commanding officer Brendan Nottle said he had mixed emotions about the announcement. He said he wanted to remind Victorians that drug users were “human beings” and move away from an “us versus them” mentality.
Under the new plan, the Victorian government will implement eight recommendations from Lay’s report. Some $9.4 million will be spent on extra support services in the city, $8.4 million on addiction treatments at 30 Victorian health facilities and $7.2 million to trial hydromorphone medication at the new Flinders St hub, which is a treatment for the seriously addicted. Naloxone, a strong anti-overdose drug, will also be trialled at 20 vending machines at needle exchange programs.
