TRANSCRIPT:
I rise today to speak on the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Medically Supervised Injecting Centre) Bill 2023. The purpose of this bill is to amend the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 to provide for the ongoing licensing of the operation of a medically supervised injecting centre. Alongside this main purpose is the ability in this bill to provide that more than one medically supervised injecting centre licence may be issued but no more than one such licence can be in force at any time.
As with many of the workings of this government, we are debating a bill that raises questions about accountability and secrecy. Under the principal act, the trial of the North Richmond injecting centre will cease at the end of this financial year. This is the second trial period of a medically supervised injecting centre. We have seen both the Hamilton review in 2020 and the Ryan review last month conducted into the current operations of the injecting centre. The full Ryan review has not yet been released by the government. Both reviews have unsurprisingly found the injecting room has not improved the amenity of the North Richmond area, and its proximity to a primary school is something that I know many people have deep concerns about. Publicly we have been informed that the Lay review has been seen by the government – well overdue – and has been sent to back to Mr Lay to do more work on in relation to drug use patterns around the city. The government refuses to release any interim report despite the alcohol and drug sector and CBD traders understandably seeking overdue information as soon as possible.
In terms of treatment for addiction, the Nationals are of the strong belief that more needs to be done. The member for Lowan put together some strong policies before the last election around mental health services and drug treatment, including important reform to establish Australia’s first hydromorphone treatment program for heroin addiction and to open 180 withdrawal and residential rehabilitation beds across six sites, predominantly in regional areas, with some next door to the Euroa electorate in Shepparton. I also know she has completed extensive consultation with the alcohol and drug sector in preparation for this bill before the house. The member for Lowan will be at the Seymour expo next weekend if anyone would like to discuss her extensive consultation in more detail.
Recently the Nationals hosted the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) at Parliament – the peak body for funded alcohol and other drug (AOD) services in Victoria. Their presentation was incredibly informative and devastatingly alarming. We see that right across regional Victoria the rate per 100,000 people for ambulance attendances relating to substance use is significantly higher than in Melbourne, and this is the same for hospitalisations and alcohol and other drug treatments. The national wastewater drug monitoring program showed that regional Victoria rated first nationally for ketamine and second for heroin and oxycodone. Thankfully in 2021 we saw a sharp reduction in the fatal overdose rate in regional Victoria. We have seen the number of people waiting for treatment increase dramatically, and as of 2021 Victoria had the second-lowest rate of residential rehabilitation beds in the nation.
There are some significant issues in the alcohol and drug treatment sectors that will not be alleviated by safe injecting rooms in the CBD. In regional Victoria there is continuous struggle to recruit experienced workers for what can often be a demanding but immensely rewarding job. We have large distances between treatment options, and there is no equity of access to crucial treatment across the state. VAADA has made some key recommendations to support regional communities, including the investment of an interim sum of $10 million to enhance services and access, implement incentives to recruit and retain a rural workforce and resource AOD agencies in disaster-affected areas, with a 20 per cent increase to existing funding levels to support increasing demand over three years.
In my electorate we have seen significant impact from the October floods. This ranges from Seymour to Heathcote and Murchison and plenty of smaller communities in-between. People in these communities certainly need an increase in mental health support. We know the correlation between poor mental health and addiction, and flood impacted towns are still doing it tough with the ongoing recovery efforts. I am sure everyone in this chamber is of the belief that we need to do more to support people battling addiction. We need new solutions to difficult problems.
While the jury is still out on safe injecting rooms in many respects, there is something that troubles me greatly about the location of the current licensed facility. Injecting rooms have proved effective in some jurisdictions, including Sydney; however, our legislative framework is different to what is seen north of the border and in a global environment. No other injecting room is located next to a primary school, and there is absolutely no need for this to be the case in Melbourne. In New South Wales legislation gives consideration to the visibility of the premises, public safety and the proximity of the site to schools, childcare centres and community centres.
The North Richmond injecting room’s opening has seen a substantial increase in drug-related activity within the school’s immediate area. Some of these incidents have been widely reported, including sex acts, the wielding of a machete, drug injecting and dealing, needlestick injuries and even a dead body on the medically safe injecting centre grounds, in full view of students as they came to and from school. As a parent I would be incredibly angry and disappointed if a facility like this was opened next door to where my children attended school. There is no need for this. It is for this reason that I am in support of the amendment moved by the member for Lowan to ensure that legislation aligns with that which is seen in New South Wales, ensuring the centre may not operate near schools, childcare centres and community centres. In addition to this, the amendments include criteria to measure eligibility of a licensee to be a fit and proper person, including that someone with a past drug conviction must not be deemed eligible. Importantly, provisions should be included to ensure that the review period aligns with the period of licensing and must be completed before any licence is issued or extended, that the review must include community consultation and that any review must be published in full prior to a licence being issued or renewed. These are simple measures to ensure accountability and transparency and maintain confidence in the operation of an injecting room.
I want to stress that I am certainly not opposed to greater access to alcohol and drug treatment. Like many in this chamber and the broader community, I have experienced firsthand through my family the often devastating challenges, complexities and isolation that comes with loving someone with drug addiction while navigating the fractured and grossly underfunded drug treatment system. My firm belief is that we should be doing more to implement harm minimisation strategies, and the purely punitive treatment of drug use is not fit for purpose in a modern society. In saying this we must remember that the impacts of addiction should not be felt by students and families in a place like North Richmond. An injecting room should be placed in a suitable environment. It is just common sense. It is standard practice across other jurisdictions, and I hope the government can understand the importance of supporting our amendments.
While on the topic of mental health and addiction and the budget creeping up in a couple of months, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the incredible work of the Tomorrow Today foundation in Benalla, who continue to do extraordinary work in this space across the north of my electorate. Late last week I met with a woman who had battled addiction throughout her life and had benefited from the crucial work Tomorrow Today continue to do. They provide support to families and youth and have supported so many locals who are negotiating challenges with addiction, many of whom may be doing so while raising a family or being placed under a multitude of traumas or stressful events in their lives. Their funding expires in the middle of this year, and I hope the Treasurer will come to the table and continue to invest in this crucial local service. Mental health and addiction is complex. The model Tomorrow Today use to support families and youth across the region is innovative and highlights the multifaceted approach that is required to improve health outcomes for people who are going through incredibly tough times. I hope the advocacy of the community to maintain Tomorrow Today’s funding is acknowledged by the government and provided in this year’s budget.