Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Ministers statements: drug harm reduction

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:16): I will take the opportunity to further outline the Allan Labor government’s commitment to addressing and reducing drug harms in our community. Last week I was really pleased to join the Premier and announce the government’s response to the Lay report alongside a $95 million statewide action plan to expand access to care and support to people who use drugs.

With around 90 per cent of all heroin-involved overdoses occurring outside of the City of Melbourne, it is clear that drug harms are a statewide –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I have said to the chamber that when it comes to ministers statements and members statements where the minister or member is not being provocative, if there are continual interjections, I will ask the member or minister to start from the start and I will expect people to be quiet. So I will ask for the clock to be reset and ask the minister to start from the start, and I expect people to be quiet.

Ingrid STITT: Thank you very much, President. Today I rise to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s commitment to addressing and reducing drug harms in our community. Last week I joined the Premier to announce the government’s response to the Lay report alongside a $95 million statewide action plan to expand access to care and support for people who use drugs.

With around 90 per cent of all heroin-involved overdoses occurring outside the City of Melbourne, it is clear that drug harms are a statewide challenge requiring a statewide solution, and that is exactly what this plan sets out. To expand access to care in our suburbs and regions, this plan will expand access to Victoria’s public pharmacotherapy system. It will trial an Australian-first statewide overdose prevention and response helpline and establish 20 naloxone dispensing units in key locations of high overdose harm.

The Lay report also told us that more needs to be done to support the most vulnerable in our CBD. That is why we will establish a dedicated community health hub in the CBD, with additional services offered from the Salvation Army site on Bourke Street and expanded outreach teams. This new hub will host a range of services, including Victoria’s first hydromorphone treatment trial. And to help us better respond to current and emerging challenges we will also appoint the state’s first chief addiction advisor and deliver a statewide alcohol and other drugs strategy. The Allan Labor government is committed to ensuring that Victorians impacted by drug use can get the care and the support they need, and this plan will help us do just that.