Hume and Whittlesea locations are among those which will receive the first 50 machines rolling out to public bathrooms, delivering free period products in public places.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Women;s Minister Natalie Hutchins on Tuesday visited the State Library, announcing it as the location for three of the first 50 machines rolling out to public bathrooms, in the first phase of this nation-leading reform.
The $23 million investment will improve access and deliver cost-of-living relief, with 50 machines installed at an initial 30 venues across Melbourne, ahead of a statewide rollout next year in a mix of women’s, gender neutral and accessible toilets.
In addition to the State Library, Bendigo Kangan, Broadmeadows, Northern Health, Broadmeadows, Lalor library, Coburg library and Diamond Valley library will be among the first locations to be included.
Once complete, the rollout will reach 700 sites including Victorian libraries, courts, hospitals, train stations and TAFEs.
Women will be able to get enough products to last them several days.
The 50 test machines are smart machines equipped with technology to monitor inventory updates.
Access to pads and tampons is a basic need, but 64 per cent of respondents in Share the Dignity’s big bloody survey reported struggling to afford period products.
Premier Jacinta Allan said pads and tampons are not a luxury – they’re a necessity.
“Women and girls should be able to access them whenever and wherever they need them.”
National Homeless Collective chief executive Donna Stolzenberg said the experience of homelessness is a horrific, frightening and shameful situation.
“Adding lack of access to sanitary items and forcing people to beg for a tampon creates an even greater trauma with added humiliation. The government’s free pads and tampons program removes the humiliation of not being able to access sanitary items.”
