The Victorian Budget reflects growing recognition of the state’s retail crime challenge but falls short on immediate worker protections and targeted enforcement, the Australian Retail Council (ARC) said today.
The Budget includes new investment in policing, additional Protective Services Officers (PSOs), youth justice and faster court processes, alongside the Victorian Government’s commitment to introduce Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs).
ARC CEO Chris Rodwell said while the new measures are welcome, retailers face escalating incidents on the shop floor, and the response does not match the scale of the problem.
“Victoria continues to record the highest levels of retail crime in the country, with incidents occurring at a scale and frequency that is deeply concerning for workers and the community,” he said.
“We support the commitment to Workplace Protection Orders but renew our calls to urgently pass the legislation and get these protections in place.”
Mr Rodwell said the Budget’s focus on policing, courts and youth programs, while important, does not address the immediate need to protect workers from repeat offenders.
“Retail crime happens in real time, and right now, workers still lack the tools to respond to repeat offenders in the moment,” he said.
Mr Rodwell said it is disappointing Victoria continues to lag other states in its response, with no funding allocated for a dedicated statewide retail crime taskforce, despite this being standard practice in states such as New South Wales and South Australia, which have lower levels of retail crime.
“Other jurisdictions have established dedicated retail crime taskforces that target repeat offenders through coordinated, intelligence-led policing,” he said.
“Despite facing the highest volume of retail crime, Victoria still does not have a comparable statewide model.”
Mr Rodwell said additional PSOs would support broader community safety, particularly around transport hubs, but were not a substitute for a dedicated retail crime response.
“Increasing capacity is important, but without a coordinated, targeted approach, efforts risk being fragmented and less effective.”
Mr Rodwell also welcomed the Government’s investment in tackling illicit tobacco, including additional licensing inspectors.
“Illicit tobacco is not a victimless issue. It is increasingly linked to organised criminal networks, and we’ve seen serious incidents associated with this activity affecting retail businesses and shopping precincts,” he said.
“Cracking down on this trade is critical to preventing criminal groups gaining a foothold in retail settings and to reducing the broader impact on businesses, workers and the community.”
“It is vital that all levels of government work together, alongside law enforcement agencies, to disrupt these networks and stop this activity at its source.”