Melbourne Council Ramps Up For Revived Push For Pill Testing

Just days after the state government shut down calls to introduce pill testing facilities in Melbourne, two inner-city councillors from the City Of Port Phillip will again push for the motion at a meeting tonight.

According to Fairfax, Port Phillip councillors, Dick Gross and Ogy Simi, are leading the charge and are also calling on the state government to contribute funding for trials of pill testing at festivals, clubs and dance parties.

"If we get a trial in Port Phillip it will give our venues and festivals a competitive advantage," Gross said.

"We can say they're safer."

The push for pill testing comes after the death of a punter at Victoria's Rainbow Serpent festival this past weekend, as well as another death and more hospitalisations in the Chapel Street precinct last month, believed to be due to a toxic batch of MDMA.

This past week Spokeswoman for Minister for Health Martin Foley, Georgia Brumby, said the government have no plans to introduce pill testing in Melbourne.

"We will consider calls for a real time public database of forensic information collected by police and hospitals and await the findings of the coroner’s hearing into overdoses," Brumby said.