Melbourne council seeks reimbursement for syringe cleanup costs near injection room. The City of Yarra has spent around $4 million since 2018 cleaning up discarded syringes near the North Richmond Medically Supervised Injection Room, urging the Victorian government to reimburse about $500,000 annually. The council argues that having the only supervised injection site in the area leads to more needles, comparing it to paying for hospital cleanliness. The Victorian government maintains that litter removal is a councils responsibility, but they are exploring other ways to reduce unsafe disposal. Some residents, like Karen Hovenga, support the cleanup and view the injection room as a positive service. The North Richmond injection room has managed over 11,000 overdoses and saved at least 63 lives, but the City of Yarra recently withdrew its support due to its location near a primary school and public housing.
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