Increased penalties for abusing frontline workers

The Crimes Amendment (Retail, Fast Food, Hospitality and Transport Worker Harm) Bill 2025 creates new offences under the Crimes Act 1958 and Summary Offences Act 1966, sending what the Minister for Children and Disability Lizzie Blandthorn in her second reading speech called ‘a clear message’ that such behaviour would not be tolerated. 

‘Deliberate acts of violence and abuse that occur in connection with the performance of customer-facing worker’s duties is unacceptable,’ she told the Legislative Council. 

According to the Australian Retailers Association, 51 per cent of retailers experience physical abuse monthly or more often, and 87 per cent of retail workers report verbal abuse. Assaults against taxi drivers also rose from 319 to 381 cases between January and August 2023. 

The bill introduces new indictable offence for assaulting or threatening to assault a customer-facing worker, carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. It also introduces summary offences for using profane, indecent, obscene, threatening, or abusive language toward workers, with penalties of up to six months’ imprisonment, double the current maximum for common assault. 

The new law expands provisions for aggravated burglary to include ram raids, with offenders facing up to 25 years in prison.

“ ‘Deliberate acts of violence and abuse that occur in connection with the performance of customer-facing worker’s duties is unacceptable.’ ”

Lizzie Blandthorn, Minister for Children and Disability

Evan Mulholland, Member for Northern Metropolitan, said the opposition would not be opposing the bill, but argued it offered nothing new.

‘What this bill presents is a new measure that is in fact a duplication or restatement of an offence that already exists. This is why these measures will not address the retail crime crisis. They do not change the legal landscape in any way,’ he said. 
 
The opposition has proposed amendments to introduce a tiered penalty system and workplace protection orders (legal orders designed to stop or prevent personal violence, harassment, or threats in a work environment, protecting employees and the public by setting conditions for the aggressor, like staying away from the workplace).

“ 'These measures will not address the retail crime crisis. They do not change the legal landscape in any way.' ”

Evan Mulholland, Member for Northern Metropolitan

Member for Southern Metropolitan Katerine Copsey said the Greens would oppose the bill. 

‘While its stated aim is to protect customer-facing workers from violence and abuse, this bill takes an approach that risks criminalising vulnerability rather than offering anything substantively new that will reduce harm for those workers,’ she said. 

Michael Galea, Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan said that the legislation would pave the way for a second tranche of reforms to implement workplace protection orders by April next year.  

'The consultation group set up for this bill will now continue its work to develop and hone the model for WPOs in Victoria and how we will most effectively be able to implement them,’ he said. 

Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan David Limbrick said he would oppose the bill, arguing the changes would have no effect. 
 
‘It is already a crime to assault people. It is already a crime to break into stores. It is already a crime to ramraid stores. These are already crimes. The real problem is that the crimes are not being enforced,’ he said. 

The full debate can be read in Hansard.