I was a Benambra constituent for many years.
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I was shocked to read MP Bill Tilley's insensitive comments (Tilley’s fears for smack mums’ kids, The Border Mail, November 18), trivialising people with serious drug addiction who want to stay alive and seek rehabilitation through a medically supervised injecting centre in North Richmond.
Mr Tilley is totally out of step with Victoria Police's support for a medically supervised injection centre (MSIC) trial.
His comments are also misleading.
Mr Tilley actually expressed his support for an MSIC after visiting the Sydney centre this year with his parliamentary colleagues from the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety committee.
His offensive comments, reported in The Border Mail, would cause huge distress to people with loved family members or friends struggling with the scourge of drug addiction.
Most people who overdose in North Richmond suffer from mental illness. Some of them come from regional Victoria.
I often wonder how Wodonga residents (including young children and the elderly) would cope if 34 people were found dead from drug overdose – in a ten-month period – around the High and Stanley Streets precinct.
I suspect they, like the residents of North Richmond, would demand that their elected leaders take urgent action, based on the evidence from many cities around the world that have successfully established MSICs.
These centres save lives, they save communities and they rehabilitate very sick people.
They reduce ambulance callouts by 80 per cent, saving tax dollars, and they free up precious resources for other community members.
The North Richmond residents applaud the Andrews Government for listening to Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, the AMA, other health experts, grieving families and our community, and for changing its mind about establishing a trial MSIC in our backyard.
Some Benambra families with Melbourne-based children may, one day, be very glad it did.
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Judy Ryan, former Wodonga resident and secretary Residents for Victoria Street Drug Solutions Inc
Not a welcoming place
Let’s face it, the Albury city shopping centre is not a welcoming place. There are some footpath areas that look good but are unpleasant to use if you use a wheelchair, motorised scooter or walking stick. The cobble-stone entrance to the Myer shopping centre is a good example.
There are a lot of shops who do not want physically disadvantaged customers. “Stay out” they say. They do not need a big sign to say “stay out”. They just have a big step at their entrance. And if that does not work, then the aisles for skinny people do.
There is a dearth of romantics among the shop keepers. As far as I know there is not one shop in Albury that sells a suitably wrapped presentation box of chocolates. Thus I cannot say “I love you” to my lady-love or “thank you” to a friend. And I suppose we shall see the usual drab Christmas decorations on Dean Street. Does Wodonga have a more welcoming shopping centre?