October 07, 2019

At the Yarra Council meeting 8/10/19, RVSDS put the following submission

Residents for Victoria Street Drug Solutions' submission

11.4 Public health, amenity and safety update and actions taken in North Richmond and Abbotsford     

RVSDS believes that a shift in focus from the MSIR trial to the ongoing and long-term renewal of a very fragile community is long overdue.

RVSDS always considered the MSIR trial to be the first stage of a journey of re-invigoration for all stakeholders in our diverse, dynamic community: NRCH, MSIR, RWPS, business groups and all residents - public housing estate and others - in North Richmond and South Abbotsford.

Renewal was always going to be impossible without first addressing the public injecting/health issues that dogged the local community for decades.  This is now being managed by the MSIR trial. 

RVSDS eagerly awaits the findings and recommendations of the Expert Review Panel.

In the meantime, RVSDS urges Council to continue to address outstanding issues relating to the public amenity and needs of public housing residents.

RVSDS acknowledges the excellent work the Council has done in cleaning our streets and collecting syringes.  Long overdue, the extra investment of $300k has made a big difference. It must be an ongoing commitment.  

A suggestion is the recommencement of Yarra Community Friends, a mentoring program for young children/teenagers that was de-funded in 2016. 

In summary, RVSDS supports Option 2 as an important initiative in kick-starting the next important stage of community renewal. 

Given the very recent commencement of the Place Manager for the Victorian Government’s North Richmond Community Capacity Building Initiative, officers could continue to work with local stakeholders to support their establishment of an appropriate and representative community engagement committee (or similar), focusing on ensuring on-going community dialogue on wider precinct amenity and safety. This would include but not be limited to:  

(a) Establish a collaborative and proactive relationship with the new Place Manager of the Victorian Government’s Social Landlord project at Richmond Housing Estate, who commenced in the role in a full-time capacity in September 2019

(b) Report back to Council before the end of 2019 with an update on community sentiment, any new actions undertaken in the interim period by stakeholders servicing the space and an update on progress of the North Richmond Community Capacity Building Initiative

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June 29, 2018

The Victorian Government has opened a medically supervised injecting room at North Richmond Community Health, Lennox St, Richmond.

The room will operate as a trial, under supervision from the Victorian Government for two years.

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What is a medically supervised injecting room?

A medically supervised injecting room is a place where people can use drugs in a supervised health setting. This means that if someone overdoses in the centre, a staff member can respond immediately.

North Richmond Community Health also provides other health services, and a pathway to treatment and rehabilitation. If a person using the centre needs a service like mental health support, wound care and blood testing, they will be able to access it onsite.

Why North Richmond Community Health?

To get as many people off the street and into the centre as possible, it’s important that the room is located where people already buy and use drugs. North Richmond’s drug market has existed for a long time and is concentrated in quite a small area, where North Richmond Community Health is also located.

NRCH already provides many vital health services to reduce the spread of blood borne viruses and other harms associated with drug use.

As a community health service, NRCH has a well established record of improving the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community.

How will this impact the community?

The medically supervised injecting centre will save lives. The centre is also expected to improve amenity and the environment for the local community, by moving drug use from outdoors into a controlled, medically supervised environment.

After other medically supervised injecting rooms have opened, residents have reported a decrease in discarded needles. In Sydney, ambulance call-outs decreased by 80% after their medically supervised injecting centre opened. Bringing drug use into a supervised environment will also reduces the trauma currently experienced by our community, including those who have witnessed public drug use and overdose.

February 08, 2017

...as published in the Herald Sun.

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Residents for Victoria Street Drug Solutions is proud to have signed the open letter to the Victorian Parliament, published in the Herald Sun Thursday 9 February, which contains 48 signatories from key sectors of the Victorian community who all support a trial of a Medically Supervised Injection Facility in North Richmond.

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Signatories include the Salvation Army, Anglicare, Ambulance Employees Australia, Australian Medical Association, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, other medical experts, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Yarra City Council, nurses, youth and health services, and leading drug

agencies.

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Click here to read the open letter.