Wednesday, 19 February 2020

Adjournment

Murray Plains electorate police resources

Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (19:00): (1888) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide additional police resources into the Raywood, Elmore and Rochester policing areas. I have received a letter from people north of Bendigo with 129 signatures and received another complaint from a person from Rochester, which joins a long list of people who have raised concerns around crime in the town of Rochester. The 129 people from north of Bendigo who wrote to me with the petition have said:

In the last six months, residents of the rural areas north of Bendigo (including but not limited to Kamarooka, Raywood, Campbell’s Forest, Drummartin, Calivil, Tennyson and Dingee) have been targeted by thieves …

And these thieves:

… have been using angle grinders to remove gates, creating a significant fire risk. There have also been multiple reports of cars with no number plates or stolen number plates right across our area, some of whom we believe are acting as spotters.

Our concern is with the incredible difficulty we have in reporting these occurrences with the local police … The phones usually ring out when we called the stations … When we are able to make a contact, we are either told that issues will be followed up but we never hear any more on the matter, or are told that there are no cars available for the officer to investigate.

… Our children, who spend a good deal of time on their own waiting for or walking to school bus picks ups are now scared due to the number of strange vehicles around and their knowledge of what is happening.

So they have signed this petition. They are asking on behalf of their communities that there be more police resources made available into that area around the Raywood and Elmore police stations. I share their concerns, as I talk to people in that area who raise the same issue with me.

The second thing on the same issue is I have received an email on my website from Steven Clarke in Rochester, who raises the same issues. He says:

As you are no doubt aware of the crime spree that hit Rochester, two armed robberies, at the Bendigo Bank and Caltex Petrol Station and a late night burglary of Majors IGA.

I quote, and it is colourful language:

I know Dopey Dan and his cronies don’t give a rats arse about the bush let alone law and order, but we have a police station here that needs to be manned 24/7.

So the issue I raise with the minister for police is to please make available additional policing resources to help that area. The police that are there are doing their best, but they just do not have enough resources, do not have enough police personnel on the roster and do not have enough vehicles to be able to protect that area.