New clinic to deliver care for Melbourne’s most vulnerable

A new central city health clinic offering wraparound care to Melbourne’s most vulnerable has officially opened its doors at the Salvation Army’s long-standing Bourke St headquarters.

Backed by the state government, the $2.9 million facility aims to provide critical medical, mental health and addiction support services to people facing homelessness, chronic addiction, and social isolation in the CBD.

Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt and Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece joined Salvation Army Commander Major Brendan Nottle to launch the clinic on May 1, hailing it as a vital step forward in the state’s health-first approach to addressing drug harm.

“This is a place where those who might feel invisible aren't just seen – they're heard,” the Premier told a packed room at the launch. “It’s built on kindness, compassion and a simple belief that everyone deserves to be cared for.”

Located at 69 Bourke St, the clinic will operate five days a week and provide walk-in access to services including primary healthcare, pharmacotherapy and addiction medicine, mental health support, psychiatric assessment, and referrals. Operated by the Salvation Army in partnership with cohealth and Alfred Health, it will also serve as a central hub connecting clients with social services, including housing and welfare support.

The facility is part of the state government’s $95 million Statewide Action Plan, which aims to tackle drug harms across Victoria with a suite of new outreach services, a forthcoming community health hub on Flinders St, and expanded access to naloxone and other harm reduction programs.

The new Bourke St clinic is the first city-based health facility to open under the plan, and for Major Nottle, it builds on more than 130 years of service to the Melbourne community from the same address.

“We welcome the Allan Government’s investment in our Bourke St hub,” he said. “Because we know initiatives like these genuinely help keep people alive.”

While the government has abandoned plans for a supervised injecting facility in the CBD – despite it being the only recommendation rejected in a 2023 report by former Victoria Police chief Ken Lay – the government has instead opted to deliver wraparound care in trusted, community-based environments. The Bourke St clinic reflects this shift.

Nicole Bartholomeusz, CEO of cohealth, said the clinic would fill a vital gap for people who were often left behind by the traditional healthcare system.

“This clinic is a space that everyone can access, providing high quality, evidence-based healthcare that people deserve, where everyone is met with compassion and respect – not judgment,” she said.

“Here, everyone is welcome. When care is delivered without shame or stigma, we build strong communities founded on trust.”

“When you provide care where people already are, with people they already trust, you can change lives – and that changes the health of the whole community.”

Ms Bartholomeusz said cohealth’s team of GPs, nurses and community health workers had long-established ties to the city’s most vulnerable, particularly through the organisation’s existing street-based outreach programs.

“For more than a decade, our teams have been on the ground in the CBD, guiding people to take their first steps towards recovery,” she said. “Now, with this new clinic, we can offer wraparound support in a place where people already feel safe.”

Lord Mayor Nick Reece also spoke at the launch, declaring the clinic a proud achievement for Melbourne.

“When I became Lord Mayor, I said I wanted Melbourne to be the best and fairest city in the world,” Cr Reece said. “That fairness has to extend to people sleeping rough, people living with addiction and people who are doing it tough.”

Reflecting on personal experiences within his own family, Cr Reece acknowledged the widespread nature of addiction and homelessness and said that services like this clinic were essential to supporting people with dignity and care.

“If it can happen in my family, it can happen in yours,” he said. “This service will help make Melbourne fairer, safer and more compassionate.”

The clinic’s opening comes at a time of heightened debate about the best approach to tackling public drug use and rough sleeping in the city.

Premier Allan’s remarks at the launch included a pointed response to critics of inner-city outreach services, alluding to political and public opposition in recent years to harm reduction efforts in the CBD.

“There are people who don’t want to understand what goes on here,” she said. “They’ve never stepped inside this place to see the work that’s being done. If they did, they would see people being helped and lives being changed.”

The clinic is also just one part of a broader network of care being rolled out under the Statewide Action Plan, which includes expanded outreach services in Melbourne, Footscray and St Kilda, a new addiction medicine adviser, naloxone vending machines, and Victoria’s first statewide drug harm reduction strategy.

While Premier Allan has previously defended the government’s decision to move away from a supervised injecting facility in the CBD, she reiterated the need for practical, health-focused responses.

“Victorians struggling with addiction deserve care and support – not judgement and stigma,” she said. “This clinic will deliver exactly that.”

Construction is currently under way for the government’s second major CBD-based facility under the plan – a $36.4 million community health hub at 244 Flinders St, which is expected to open in 2026.

According to Minister Stitt, the plan to establish a CBD Reference Group, which will include local businesses, government agencies, service partners, and residents, is also still being finalised.

The initiative is understood to be aimed at helping set up the community health hub and ensure that people struggling with addiction within the city have access to the necessary services.