Questions without notice and ministers statements
Decriminalisation of public drunkenness
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:43): (297) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, the Labor government is ignoring the concerns of the community directly affected by the Collingwood sobering-up centre. Last week it was revealed the centre might take drug-affected people. Minister, can you confirm that the centre will be looking after not only people intoxicated by alcohol but also people affected by drugs such as ice?
Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:44): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. Of course this is part of an important piece of work all around making sure that we are decriminalising public intoxication, because we want to see these issues dealt with through a health response rather than a criminal response. We know that this is a key recommendation from the coroner to make sure that we are not locking up people who are intoxicated, because we never want to see again the tragic loss of life that we saw with the recent example of Tanya Day – of course the tragic loss of her life as a result of her being in a police cell when in fact she should have been in the care of health professionals.
Setting up the sobering centre at Cambridge House is just one element of the reforms that the government are pursuing as part of a health-led response. Of course the vast majority of Victorians will not need to go to a sobering centre to deal with public intoxication. There will be a range of other health responses available. But I think to conflate the issues of drug addiction and the purpose of Cambridge House is not helpful, because clearly there are other dedicated services across our city and indeed our state that are all about supporting people who have addiction issues, and Cambridge House is there to ensure that anybody who needs a sobering-up service – and that will not be the majority of people, by the way; this will be a small cohort, we think – can have that expert health model response through the sobering-up service. It will be led by Cohealth, who have got a demonstrated track record of providing really important health-led services to some of Victoria’s most vulnerable communities.
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:46): I thank the minister for her response. I note that you did not directly go to the question about those people. You did not deny that that is the case; you said that there are other avenues. Nevertheless, I have a supplementary question. Minister, a range of stakeholders, including the Police Association Victoria as well as local residents and others, have expressed serious concerns regarding safety and the location of the centre, so I ask: will you meet with these residents to hear their concerns?
Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:47): I have obviously received correspondence from local residents in Collingwood about the sobering-up service and Cambridge House, and I think there is a little bit of misinformation out there, including the misinformation contained in your original question, Ms Crozier, around drug-affected people using this service. I have written to those residents that have contacted me and I have offered for Cohealth to meet with the residents, because Cohealth will be leading the response and therefore they are best placed to talk to local residents to dispel some of the myths that are frankly being put out there in the community and to reassure them about the types of services that will be offered at this important facility.
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:48): I move:
That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.
Motion agreed to.