Victoria has advanced the start of its WPO scheme – designed to prevent repeat offenders from returning to retail workplaces – to March 2027 in response to retail industry pressure.
The legislation is now being criticised for not allowing courts to issue urgent interim orders to temporarily bar offenders while a final WPO application is considered. The Australian Retail Council (ARC) described the legislation, passed this week, as the country's ‘weakest’ framework since applicants must first obtain a court order.
ARC CEO Chris Rodwell stated that the legislation falls short of the protections retailers requested.
"Retailers have fought for these protections for several years in Victoria because frontline workers face crisis levels of violence, threats and intimidation – the worst in the country," he said.
Rodwell recommended Victoria follow South Australia and the ACT, where courts can quickly issue interim WPOs in cases of immediate risk. This criticism comes as Victoria faces about 100 violent retail crime incidents each day, representing more than one-third of Australia’s total.
According to the ARC, the Victorian Government argues interim orders are unnecessary, citing a lower threshold for courts to grant final barring orders. Rodwell stated that the current legislation does not address the core issue.
"The real risk is the time it can take for a final court order to be made, during which the offender can return to the workplace, and workers remain exposed," he said.
"It is critical the government puts the right protections in place to ensure people can come home safe after a shift."
Breaches carry penalties of up to two years' imprisonment, a $AUD50,000 fine, or both.
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