Injecting room: property prices versus lives

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Andrew DysonCredit: .

While a study shows that almost $60,000 has been wiped off the value of houses within walking distance of the safe injecting room at Richmond, data also shows that the facility has prevented more than 60 deaths. Surely the cost of a saved life far outweighs the monetary value of property. There needs to be some perspective between the value of a human life compared to million-dollar house prices. Surely the welfare of each person facing addiction is paramount.
Julie Ottobre, Sorrento

Without the room, would prices rise?
So the Richmond safe injecting room is depressing house prices. The drug trade around Victoria Street shopping centre was there for decades before the room opened in 2018, with many ambulances arriving daily to revive comatose overdose victims, every resident experiencing drug users injecting by their gates or back lanes, or in the neighbouring school grounds, used needles every few metres.
Why didn’t those years of experience depress local house prices? Why does getting most of this behaviour off the street and cleaning up the needles, radically reducing ambulance callouts, absence of collapsed drug users by people’s gates, suddenly reduce prices?
What else was going on between 2015 and 2021? A pandemic, lockdowns, roadworks and many other things. And why do some people in effect say “my house price is more important than your life?” There has been a NIMBY reaction to the injecting room from the start, but a large majority of local traders and residents strongly support it, and accept that it has made local life better. The Health Centre website states that 350,000 injections have been performed inside the safe centre. Would house prices rise if all this happened out on the streets and laneways instead of inside, out of sight?
Robert Bender, Ivanhoe East

Sympathise with the local community
The Richmond safe injecting room has a detrimental effect on property values in Richmond, but the loss of clientele to nearby Victoria Street businesses – especially restaurants – is also obvious to anyone who used to patronise the area. One can only sympathise with the local community.
Ann Pang, Doncaster

New facility should be in Spring Street
Any new drug injecting facility in the CBD should be located in the Parliament House precinct around Spring Street. Great public transport access and no conflict with shoppers, residents or tourists. Let the politicians deal with the problems inevitably associated with it rather than thrust it on struggling small businesses.
Wayne Alexander, Eltham

FORUM

Unhealthy obsession
Australia is obsessed with sport. Billions are spent on stadiums, Commonwealth Games, Olympics, the grand prix, the Australian Open, etc. Politicians love to trot out the old chestnut that it is good for the economy, apparently with millions pouring in. If this is the case, why do we still have unacceptable waiting lists in hospitals, overworked and underpaid aged care staff, an ambulance system constantly under stress, charities crying out for funding, not to mention the rental crisis. Sadly, these shortcomings are not new. They have been around for many years.
Ursula Miller, Frankston South

The glory of compost
Megan Backhouse (“Hail to the leaf”, 5/5) gently informs us about the secret life of leaves. Gorgeous fallen leaves. Until recent times the ritual of burning them signified autumn.
Today, climate change and the increasing realisation of nature’s value surely compels us to return to the soil the nutrients that gave the trees the leaves in the first place.
Let’s celebrate the glory of decomposing leaves in our green spaces.
Isabelle Henry, Ascot Vale

Four bins isn’t hard
Four bins is a First World problem (Letters, 5/5) – and it is helping with a real all-world problem. In the Macedon Ranges Shire we have had four bins for some time now and it really isn’t hard – a quick check of this week’s collection and off it goes. A small price to pay to save the small blue dot.
Steve Flounders, Kyneton

Who should we call?
I love your correspondent’s coronation oath of allegiance (Letters, 4/5) – except for the bit about “a figurehead chosen by parliament”. That’s likely to give us the same type of person as most governors-general: retired military or religious persons; or maybe sports stars. Who can we trust to choose someone who really represents Australia with intelligence, sensitivity and charisma?
Miranda Jones, Drummond

Makes no difference
A reminder: every single member of the federal parliament, monarchist or republican, has already sworn an oath of allegiance to British royalty. Another one on Saturday makes no difference.
Louise Kloot, Doncaster

Not in fierce agreement
Your correspondent (Letters, 4/5) writes: ″⁣Constitutional monarchy is one of the most stable forms of government; being part of the Commonwealth has great benefits; our government makes the decisions. What are we rebelling against?″⁣ I doubt Gough Whitlam would agree with that.
Ian Usman Lewis, Kentucky, NSW

No more allegiance
Born and raised in Britain, I never had to swear allegiance to any monarch until I took out Australian citizenship where it was required. I assume my previous declaration is now null and void and I have no intention of redoing it.
Jan Newmarch, Oakleigh

Stay the path, Australia
The Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon hopes that Australia could ″⁣focus more on trade and technological co-operation rather than the conflict with Palestine″⁣.
What a surprise that a nation that has spent decades persecuting an impoverished and displaced population would like to avoid talking about it. This persecution has become so accepted that the world has become inured to the ongoing suffering, the expansion of Israel’s territorial claims and the blatant abuse of human rights.
Mr Maimon wants Palestine’s final status to be ″⁣decided by the two parties involved″⁣ which translates into more of the same with absolutely no intention to resolve anything except by force. Dream on Mr Maimon, Israel’s intentions have been crystal clear forever, and Australia should not resile from supporting Palestine’s legitimate right to independent statehood.
Bob Thomas, Blackburn South

Oppose fracking
We are being told that we need to have more gas exploration to tide us over the “transition” period while we convert to more environmental sustainable sources of energy. Mining companies and governments would have us believe that fracking will provide this gas. No doubt they hope to ameliorate their increase to emissions by using the so-called safeguard mechanism. This means Australia is working so hard and spending so much to avoid tackling climate change. We should be implementing more solar and wind energy and investing in battery storage.
Now we hear the Northern Territory is going ahead with its fracking (“NT approves gas fracking despite fears”, 4/5) despite potential damage to ″⁣clean water, prime land and a sustainable economic future″⁣. The government there does not believe time is running out to avoid catastrophic climate change. Citizens need to stand up and oppose fracking.
Jan Marshall, Brighton

Training for the Bar
The article (″⁣Fight brewing at the Victorian Bar over supporting the Indigenous Voice″⁣, 5/5), is arguably revealing of some Victorian lawyers’ naivete in relation to the integrity of their profession. The barrister leading the moves not to endorse the Voice is surely being precious in fearing that support for a Yes vote would, in his words, ″⁣undermine the Bar’s reputation for independence″⁣. That statement, together with his prioritising of an ″⁣unpoliticised legal system″⁣, seems incongruous and cloth-eared when seen in the historical context of the Indigenous experience in Australia since 1788: ongoing cruelties and gross indignities inflicted by white Australians’ legal and political structures.
Perhaps it is not too late for the members of the Victorian Bar to benefit from intensive historical courses around Indigenous cross-generational trauma, prior to voting on the imminent constitutional amendment proposal. Follow the enlightened lead of the NSW Bar.
Jon McMillan,
Mount Eliza

Wrong benefit
Calls for increased Medicare rebates for psychologists as a solution to the mental health crisis are simplistic and self-serving (″⁣The statistics that show the depth of our worsening mental health crisis″⁣, May 1). Psychologists – not patients – would benefit most from this.
The Medicare rebate is set by the government, however psychologists set their own fees, hence controlling the out-of-pocket/gap fee paid by patients.
Psychologists can and should provide reduced fee and bulk-billed services to a proportion of their caseload. This would have minimal impact on psychologists’ income but benefit those in need. The omission of the psychology professional bodies’ advocacy for this seems at odds with their purported concern regarding financial stress being a barrier to patients accessing care.
Avarice is not a good look for our profession.
Dr Bianca Denny,
clinical psychologist, Ivanhoe

She’s dreaming
A personal care attendant working in an aged care home is paid $28.47 an hour. So a 15 per cent rise will give them an extra $4.27 extra an hour in their pocket. Does Aged Care Minister Anika Wells seriously think an extra $4 an hour will ″⁣entice 10,000 more workers to the sector″⁣?
We need Darryl Kerrigan from The Castle to tell her, ″⁣She’s dreaming.″⁣
Dr Sarah Russell,
director, Aged Care Matters

Not my brand
Now the Liberal Party is a “brand”, that can only mean that Liberal politicians are nothing but sales people. I don’t buy it. I don’t want a branded product but I do want politicians who act with principle and integrity.
John Seal, Hamlyn Heights

Devil of a name
The new Tasmanian AFL team should be the He-Devils, the She-Devils (AFLW), and the wee-Devils (Auskick)
Mark Seeckts,
Herne Hill

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics
Do the state Liberals understand that they don’t also have to oppose themselves?
Steve Melzer, Hughesdale

Victorian Liberals set to have a win at last. Deeming or Pesutto?
George Reed, Wheelers Hill

The Liberals in Victoria seem determined to stay in opposition for decades.
Brian Morley, Donvale

Coronation
Divine right of kings? Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government (Monty Python)
Kate Smallwood, Point Lonsdale

What time does the footy start on TV? Early I hope.
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy

Saturday afternoon, what a dilemma. Coronation or footy. Footy wins.
Jack Ginger, Caulfield South

Furthermore
Is Tony Abbott seriously suggesting that the people who are pleading “from the heart” finally to be given a voice would abuse their hard-won rights to the detriment of the country?
Bernd Rieve, Brighton

The pharmacy lobby group should realise the government is already doing it a favour by not allowing supermarkets to dispense medicines. It works in other countries.
Peter Carlin, Frankston South

The projected ″⁣horror″⁣ 2026 state debt (5/5 ) will be the then-retired Daniel Andrews’ legacy to Victorians, not the ″⁣Big Build″⁣.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill

Lo and behold, I think I’m starting to warm to Malcolm Turnbull (″⁣Murdoch is our deadliest export: ex-PM″⁣, 5/5).
Greg Bardin, Altona North

The quality of many endorsed candidates at both state and federal levels is questionable. The talent pools are extremely shallow.
John Bye, Elwood

Where are the record numbers of overseas students and working holiday makers to live when there is a shortage of affordable rentals?
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick

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