The Australian Retail Council (ARC) has strongly welcomed the Minns Government’s move to legislate workplace protection orders, describing it as a significant step forward for the safety of frontline retail workers.
ARC CEO Chris Rodwell said the announcement built on the Government’s strong and coordinated response to escalating violence, threats and abuse in retail workplaces.
“We strongly welcome the Minns Government’s commitment to introduce workplace protection orders. This is a significant step forward in protecting retail workers who face unacceptable violence, threats and abuse simply for doing their jobs,” Mr Rodwell said.
“The NSW Government has shown real leadership on retail crime and we appreciate its willingness to listen to and consult with the retail industry throughout this process.”
Mr Rodwell said the statewide rollout of Operation Percentile demonstrated the Government’s commitment to action.
“Operation Percentile is one of the country’s only dedicated statewide police operations focused on retail crime. Its intelligence-led approach targets the repeat and high-harm offenders who pose the greatest risk to workers and customers,” he said.
“This is exactly the type of sustained commitment needed to begin turning the tide on retail crime, which has escalated significantly in recent years, across the country.”
The Government has indicated the workplace protection order scheme will commence within 12 months of the legislation passing Parliament.
“We need to see that timeframe reduced. Retail workers are facing violence and abuse today, and every day counts,” Mr Rodwell said.
“We urge the Government to act with urgency and bring the laws into operation as soon as possible.”
ARC also awaits the full detail of the Bill and will look closely at whether the scheme includes urgent interim orders.
“Retailers would seek workplace protection orders only in the most serious cases involving violent and abusive repeat offenders,” Mr Rodwell said.
“A strong and effective scheme must enable courts to act quickly when a worker faces an immediate risk. Urgent interim orders would allow an offender to be barred immediately from returning to a workplace while a final order is being considered. That protection is already available in South Australia and the ACT, and it’s working.”
“We will continue working constructively with the Government to ensure the NSW model delivers strong, practical and immediate protection for frontline retail workers.”
Woolworths’ Head of Violence Prevention Sarah Faorlin said:
“We welcome the NSW Government’s commitment to introduce workplace protection orders, because every single retail worker deserves to feel safe at work.
“We know these laws work. In the ACT, there has been a 92 per cent reduction in reoffending among repeat offenders subject to an order – a result that shows the real-world difference these protections are making to our team.
“But when it comes to the safety of our teams, every single day counts. We need to see these laws put in place as quickly as possible, and they must include interim orders so we can take immediate action to protect our team.”
In 2025, Woolworths team members reported over 1,400 incidents of violence and aggression in NSW, 91 of them involved an edged weapon.
About us: Australian Retail Council (ARC) represents a $444 billion sector that employs 1.4 million Australians across metropolitan, regional, and remote communities – making retail the largest private sector employer in the country and a significant contributor to the Australian economy. Our membership spans the full spectrum of Australian retail, from family-owned small and independent retailers that make up 95% of our membership, through to our largest national and international retailers that employ thousands of Australians and support both metropolitan and regional communities every day.
