Government scraps plans to build Melbourne's second injecting room

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The Victorian government will not build a second safe injecting room in Melbourne after it failed to find a "suitable location" that worked for both users and residents.

Premier Jacinta Allan said the location had been "a sticking point" and confirmed the government had been unable to find a suitable location that balanced community needs.

A $95.11 million "statewide action plan" will instead be created involving a new community health hub that will open on Flinders Street.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the government would not build a second safe injecting room. (Nine)

The premier said it was the only recommendation from former police commissioner Ken Lay's 120-page report that the government had failed to implement.

"People struggling with addiction deserve our care wherever they are and our statewide plan will save lives with a new community health service for the city while boosting support services in our suburbs and regions," Allan said.

Plans for a second safe injecting room in Melbourne were raised back in 2020, after an independent review of Victoria's first Medically Supervised Injecting Room trial.

There will not be a second supervised safe injecting room in Melbourne. (Nine)

The recommendation said a second space would aim to reduce pressure on the North Richmond centre and further decrease drug-related harm in the community.

A possible location for the second injecting facility was previously proposed at the Salvation Army building on Bourke Street, which sparked outrage from nearby businesses.

Former Premier Daniel Andrews previously said the decision to introduce a second facility was guided by medical experts.

The state government previously advised a decision on its opening would come in mid-2023, with the report led by former Victorian top cop Ken Lay submitted at the end of May.

However, that has been delayed until today.

Victoria's first medically supervised injecting room in North Richmond. (Nine)

Statewide action plan announced

Under the plan, the government will fund 20 dispensing machines to provide the overdose-reversal medicine naloxone along with trialling an overdose prevention and response helpline.

The Yooralla building located at 244 Flinders Street, will also be transformed into a community hub, which will be run by cohealth from 2026.

Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said the hub would be a gateway for wraparound health and social support services.

"The Lay Report makes it clear that more needs to be done to make sure some of our most vulnerable can access the services they need," Stitt said.

"The hub will be established exactly where it's needed."

Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt addressing media. (Nine)

The plan also sees the government appoint a chief addiction adviser.

However, the decision to not go ahead with the second injecting room has sparked anger from the Victorian Greens.

In a statement, the Greens labelled the decision as "spineless captain's call" that will "cost lives".

"This is cowardly from Labor. It leaves people who are struggling with heroin addiction to die on the streets of Melbourne, and the local community and families having to deal with the consequences because the Labor State Government won't do anything to help," Greens MP Ellen Sandell said.