The location of Melbourne’s only safe injecting room next to a primary school is “the greatest public policy disaster in recent Victorian history”, according to Yarra’s mayor, whose council reversed its long-standing support for the location on Tuesday night.

Stephen Jolly, formerly a fierce advocate for the facility, said without any other injecting facilities and a lack of services to reach drug users brought to the area, North Richmond had been left to shoulder the city’s drug burden alone and the motion was created to “poke some people in the eye” to get movement in a state election year.

The last-minute decision was made during an at times heated council meeting on Tuesday night. A surprise alternative motion that was not included in the public council documents ahead of the meeti

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