Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:40): My question is to the Premier. In one large region of my electorate where there should be 12 officers, there will be just seven police over the coming weeks due to staff vacancies. As is the case in most areas of Victoria, due to the fuel crisis farmers in this region are reporting a rise in fuel theft on farms. How many of the 1500 police vacancies are in regional Victoria?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:41): In acknowledging the question from the member for Lowan, can I firstly go to the matter she has raised regarding the increase in fuel theft that is being experienced by farmers. We are also seeing a rise in the incidence of drive-offs at service stations. It is an illegal practice. It needs to be prosecuted. But it also does come at a time when there is a lot of pressure in the community. That is why we have backed Victoria Police with additional resources, the largest police force in the nation. We have acknowledged that Victoria Police, like many policing forces around the country and also many industries, are not immune from those challenges of workforce shortages, which is why there are two initiatives. The Made for More campaign, which is seeing more applications come to Victoria Police than any other jurisdiction, is one way to address those vacancies that the member referred to. The work that is being done to have double shifts go through the academy is also to address those worker –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. The question was about 1500 police vacancies. How many of those are in regional Victoria?

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, on the point of order, the Premier was being entirely relevant to the question that was asked, and she was outlining the initiatives that the government has put in place to continue to grow the police service here in Victoria.

The SPEAKER: I cannot tell the Premier how to answer a question, but the Premier was being relevant to the question.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the member actually took a point of order on debating the question, not on relevance.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was not debating the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: That is the action that is being taken to address the challenge that is there, I acknowledge, around the vacancies in Victoria Police that are being experienced and, as I said, by jurisdictions around the nation. In terms of how the chief commissioner, through his role, is managing those vacancies, he is managing that in a way that is deploying resources based on data and intelligence to be out to prevent crime and respond to crime in communities right across the state.

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:44): Sarah and Ross Thomson survived the bushfire at Ruffy in January but last week had over 500 litres of fuel stolen from farm tanks. Given the surge in fuel theft from farms, will the minister immediately bolster the resources of the farm crime unit and establish a dedicated operation to prevent fuel theft and protect farmers’ supplies of diesel?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:44): I am concerned to hear that a family who have had the devastating impact of the fires that came through the state in January of this year have been further impacted by fuel theft from their property. As I said in my earlier answer, we have seen an increase in the theft of fuel in farming and rural communities and also, as I said, in drive-offs at service stations. This is something that Victoria Police is closely monitoring. I will share that example that the member for Lowan has provided with Victoria Police, who are looking at ways to respond to this. It is coming at a time too when there is a lot of pressure. It remains illegal to steal fuel, and there is work there from Victoria Police to respond to this challenge.

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this question was in relation to the farm crime unit.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.