Thursday, 30 November 2023

Medically supervised injecting facilities

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:28): (388) My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, you have been in the job for a few months now and had time to consider the latest version of the Lay report. When will you release the shortlist of sites within the CBD?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:28): I thank Mr Mulholland for his question, a question that I think I have had a couple of times since becoming the mental health minister two months ago. I have had the opportunity to read, digest and fully get my head around the Ken Lay report. I do want to thank Mr Lay for his extensive work in this important policy area. We absolutely understand that there is significant drug harm going on in the CBD, and as a result of some changed patterns in drug use we did extend Mr Lay’s work until the end of May this year. So I have had the opportunity to read his report. What I will say is that these are complex matters that the government is in the process of considering. The government will release Mr Lay’s report in due course and respond to the recommendations that are contained in the report.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:29): The government has had the latest version of the report – there have been quite a few – for seven months. Will you provide certainty to CBD businesses and residents and commit that you will not put an injecting room in the Salvation Army site on Bourke Street or the former Yooralla building in Flinders Street?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:30): I thank Mr Mulholland for his supplementary. As I have indicated in the house previously, there has been no decision made about the location of a CBD supervised injecting service. As I have already indicated, the government is in the process of considering the report. I have been the mental health minister for two months. The government will respond to Mr Lay’s report in due course, and I have got nothing further to add today.