Daniel Andrews admit scrapping public drunkenness laws won’t ‘be easy’ in light of police concerns for Melbourne Cup

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has admitted the change in public drunkenness laws will be a “big shift” amid concerns from police ahead of the 2023 Melbourne Cup.

Government documents revealed that being drunk in public will no longer be an offence when the laws are scrapped on November 7.

The decriminalisation was triggered by the death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day, who died in police custody in 2017.

Mr Andrews told reporters the “long overdue” reform would require some adjustment, as the state pivots towards treating public intoxication as a medical issue instead of a crime.

“Will it be easy? No. Of course it’s a big shift,” he said on Thursday.

“This is a reform that is long overdue.”

He argued that police would not be burdened by the change as health workers would predominantly become the frontline responders, despite some calling it a “disaster”.

Instead of being arrested by police officers, Victorians will either be taken home or to “sobering up” centres led by health professionals.

The change coincides with the Melbourne Cup which is typically a busy day for police who deal with thousands of drunk punters at the horse racing event.

While Victoria Police supports the health based approach, a local union also fears that the proposed changes will give authorities little power to act, particularly in regional communities.

Victoria Police Association's Wayne Gatt argued that removing the ability to detain intoxicated individuals could lead to harm and injuries.

"That's just plain stupid, and that's just going to be a recipe for disaster," Mr Gatt said.

"It may not be on the first day, but at some point somewhere, someone will be injured and hurt as a result, and we'll sadly have to say we told you so."

It is understood that officers will undergo additional training on how to deal with public intoxication as they continue to work with first responders.

The move brings Victoria in line with the rest of Australia, except for Queensland where drinking will remain a criminal offence.