Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Western Victoria Region

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (13:03): (1416) My constituency question is for the Minister for Police, but it also may interest the Attorney-General. Last Wednesday around 7:40 pm a teenager was arrested, accused of smashing 81 windows at Canadian Lead Primary School in Ballarat East. Due to the glass smashing inwards, the clean-up has cost thousands of dollars, with shards of glass found in homeroom tubs, where young people keep their belongings, and across desks, carpet floors and hallways. The students are obviously disturbed, and parents and carers and teachers are quite worried as well. Reports indicate that the arrested teen was released just 2 hours after committing the incident, with one parent contacting me concerned that it will just happen again. So my question to the minister is: what certainty can you give my constituents regarding improved community safety and preventing these senseless acts of vandalism amidst a youth crime crisis in Victoria?