How antisocial behaviour and homelessness is impacting Elizabeth Street – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

“The ongoing situation on Elizabeth Street is unacceptable and the City of Melbourne is doing everything it can to turn it around,” he says.

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“Council has ramped up cleaning in the area, including a new daily 4am sweep and more graffiti patrols, and will work with landlords to activate shopfronts to make the area more vibrant.”

But the council is limited on what it can achieve alone, Reece says, and a co-ordinated approach is the only way to tackle the long-running issue.

On Wednesday, police held a meeting with Ambulance Victoria, traders, The Salvation Army and residents. It followed a roundtable, convened by Melbourne City Council last month, to come up with ways to improve safety and amenity in the troubled precinct.

The southern end of Elizabeth Street – which is opposite Flinders Street station and has a high concentration of fast food and bottle shops – has long attracted people with complex social problems including homelessness, mental illness and addiction.

But locals believe crime and antisocial behaviour is getting worse, in part because Metro Tunnel works have displaced people from Swanston Street. Some say creating a new public space by closing off southbound traffic between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane has also worsened the problem.

Meanwhile, there is ongoing uncertainty about a second safe injecting…