Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Alison MARCHANT (Bellarine) (19:16): (1626) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action I seek is for the Premier to provide an update on how the recently established violence reduction unit is supporting the Bellarine and the wider Geelong community. Last month I joined my Geelong regional colleagues, the member for Geelong and the member for Lara, and the member for Mordialloc, who was actually there as the Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behaviour Change, to co-host a violence reduction unit forum at the Murran hub in Geelong. We brought together community organisations, service providers and local leaders from the region and surrounding areas to hear directly about what the VR unit’s role is and how a collaborative and health-led approach is going to help stop violence before it starts. At the forum there was a strong First Nations lens underpinning that discussion, acknowledging the over-representation of First Nations people in the justice system in our local area. The forum highlighted the importance of culturally informed, community-led solutions that reflect that local knowledge and lived experience. What stood out clearly, though, was the importance of taking a health-led approach to violence and understanding and addressing the underlying causes rather than simply responding after harm has occurred. This approach recognises that mental health, education, housing, community and connections play a role in prevention. Working together across these areas, we can better support our young people and our families and build stronger and safer communities. I would like to thank all the organisations and community representatives who attended that forum with such constructive discussions. I look forward to hearing from the Premier and sharing this update with the Bellarine community.