CITY TOLD TO CHANGE TACK ON DRUGS

A Melbourne city councillor has called for the council's drug action plan
to be revised so that it follows the recommendations of a key city business
and residents' group, the Uptown Precinct Association.

Cr Wellington Lee, who spoke against the three-year plan at Tuesday night's
environment committee meeting, said the precinct association had outlined
"the way to go on drugs".

The association has written to the council asking it to reject the plan,
presented by the council's administration, which it said suggested the
acceptance of illegal drug-taking and associated criminal activity in the city.

"The plan appears to address the needs of the perpetrators of drug-related
criminal activities in preference to those people not involved," wrote
president Peter Vodika, whose group covers the block bordered by Bourke,
Swanston, La Trobe and Spring Streets and includes some of the most
drug-affected areas of Russell, Bourke and Lonsdale Streets.

Mr Vodika said proposals included in the plan, such as memorials to
overdose victims, training videos for city workers and programs to educate
visitors, suggested that drug-taking was tolerated by the council.

Among the precinct association's recommendations is a two-year trial of
security guards to be funded by a levy on city businesses. The group is
also calling for the proposed overdose recovery service or community health
centre to be subject to a planning process in which the community is
consulted on its location.

Cr Lee, the ward councillor for Hoddle, which covers the CBD, said
yesterday the council needed to meet as soon as possible to amend the drug
action plan. Tuesday night's meeting voted to accept the plan pending
further discussions. Councillors will meet again next week before the full
council meeting on October 31. The council is divided over the plan, with
only three councillors, Lord Mayor Peter Costigan, David Risstrom and
Martin Brennan signalling their strong support for the plan.

Cr Lee's objections have been echoed by Deputy Lord Mayor Clem Newton-Brown
and Cr Joanna Pace, who said the plan lacked balance and was focused on
reducing harm to drug users and did not tackle the concerns of residents,
traders and businesses.

Cr Kevin Chamberlin said he was confident the council would reach common
ground before the end of the month and that it was an opportunity to fully
explore a primary health care approach to drug use in the city.

The $1.5 million drug action plan is the culmination of six months' work by
the council's administration, which was asked by the State Government to
develop a response to the drug crisis in Melbourne.

As part of its community consultation, the council held a round-table
discussion, received 40 written submission and 20 verbal submissions,
consulted with peak bodies and surveyed 300 ratepayers.

The plan included proposals to set up an overdose recovery service,
investigate the possibility of community workers administering Narcan,
install needle vending machines, supply heroin purity testing kits, enclose
alcoves and encourage businesses to place needle disposal bins in their toilets.