Victorian Liberal Leader Brad Battin committed a future Liberal Nationals Government to a $100 million plan, which has been praised by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and the National Retail Association (NRA).
The proposal includes the adoption of Jack’s Law, Queensland legislation introduced after the death of teenager Jack Beasley, which authorises police to search individuals in public spaces for weapons.
The plan targets prevention and rehabilitation and features 'Restart,' a residential discipline program, and Youthstart, a coordinated community-based intervention. Chris Rodwell, chief executive officer of the ARA, described retail crime in Victoria as a crisis.
"Retailers are doing everything they can to protect their teams and their customers, but they cannot solve this alone," Rodwell said.
"We need a unified approach from government, police, and industry to address the challenge. Bi-partisan support is vital, and that is why we commend the ongoing focus on this issue by the Victorian Opposition Leader, Brad Battin."
Rodwell highlighted Workplace Protection Orders as a priority. He emphasised their proven effectiveness in the Australian Capital Territory and their active consideration in other states. He urged Victoria to adopt stricter laws on retail worker abuse and assault, mirroring those in South Australia, New South Wales, and Western Australia.
"We urgently need a firm commitment on the timing of this by the government. Sadly, our retail teams are paying the price for the government's delay,” he explained.
"Victoria accounts for almost 35 per cent of total incidents and registered 60 per cent more incidents than any other state, making it the retail crime capital of the nation."
One in ten retail incidents involves assault, abuse, weapons, burglary, or aggression. Repeat offenders and organised crime groups often drive these incidents.
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