National

Vic public drunkenness decriminalised from Melb Cup Day

By AAP Newswire

Apr 13, 2023

RACING MELBOURNE CUP — Public drunkenness will no longer be a crime in Victoria from November. -AAP Image

The criminal offence of public drunkenness will be abolished in Victoria from Melbourne Cup Day.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Victorian tender documents show the criminal justice response to public intoxication will be replaced with a health-based approach from November 7.

The date coincides with the annual Melbourne Cup public holiday.

The Victorian government committed to decriminalising public drunkenness at the start of a 2019 coronial inquest into the death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day.

Ms Day was arrested for being drunk in a public place in December 2017 and later died after she hit her head on a wall in a concrete cell at Castlemaine Police Station.

Her death was preventable, a coroner found.

The government has committed to providing a dedicated Aboriginal service response to public drunkenness in metropolitan Melbourne and 10 regional and outer suburb locations.

A general service response will also operate in the city, while centralised services will provide a coordinated approach across the state.

The government has opened up the tender process to services, with applications to close on May 9.

Successful services to be contracted to provide the health-based response through to June 30, 2026.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press