Victoria Police funding
Mr LIMBRICK (South Eastern Metropolitan) (18:03): (2121) My adjournment item is for the Minister for Police. Minister, the report tabled today from the Auditor-General states that Victoria Police did not have a full business case in 2016 when the Andrews government announced $2 billion in additional funding over four years from 2017–18. We all know that this is not the first time this government has invested money without a strong business case, but when it comes to community safety this is one of the areas where the Liberal Democrats do support intelligent public investment. However, the report states that Victoria Police cannot show that the 2729 new police officers it said it needed were supported by any modelling of its future staffing requirements. Similarly, the $2 billion package was for the community safety statement program, but the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) found Victoria Police could not assure itself the initiative delivered community safety outcomes. As if this were not enough, the report states that Victoria Police’s staffing needs remain unclear because it does not have a strategic workforce plan nor any modelling or forecasting for current or long-term requirements.
I have also recently been made aware that the reported number of officers leaving Victoria Police compared to those joining the force is at a negative ratio. This is obviously not a sustainable pattern for any workforce to follow and begs the question: is our $2 billion that never had a business case currently walking out the door anyway? Minister, following this VAGO report, will you now commit to undertaking a strategic workforce plan to assess what the staffing needs are in Victoria Police to ensure optimal community safety?