Yarra City Council has welcomed the findings of the parliamentary report into a Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC), which acknowledged that ‘MSICs improve the health of injecting drug users and reduce signs of drug use in surrounding streets’.

Yarra Mayor, Cr Amanda Stone, said the report brings together expert evidence and research demonstrating that an MSIC would significantly reduce the impact of injecting drug use on both users and the wider community.

“The report acknowledges what we and our local community already knew, that drug use in North Richmond has ‘reached crisis level’,” said Cr Stone.

“While it is disappointing the report stops short of recommending a trial, the evidence presented clearly shows that an MSIC in North Richmond would save lives.

“It also describes the daily experiences of local residents, who are currently dealing with overdoses in their laneways and discarded syringes in their front gardens, as ‘intolerable’. An MSIC would take drug use off the streets and significantly improve the lives of people living in the area. 

“The report also confirms that MSICs reduce the demand for ambulance services and don’t have a ‘honey pot’ effect on crime.          

“We implore the Premier to carefully consider the overwhelming expert evidence presented in this report in favour of an MSIC. State Government needs to legislate for an MSIC trial to save lives as a matter of urgency,” said Cr Stone.