A safe injecting room could still be opened in Richmond after the Andrews government backed the parliament to investigate how it could work.

A day after Premier Daniel Andrews dismissed Coroner Jacqui Hawkins' push for a trial of a supervised drug room, government MPs voted with the Sex Party, Greens and Vote 1 Local Jobs MP James Purcell for a parliamentary inquiry into safe injecting rooms.

Premier Daniel Andrews is resisting calls to trial a safe injecting room. Credit:Rick Stevens

Last year 34 people died of overdoses in North Richmond, with a trial of Sydney-style safe injecting room mooted for the Victoria Street area.

Sex Party MP Fiona Patten had tabled a bill for a safe injecting room so securing an inquiry – to report by September – is seen as a major win for campaigners.