Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Public transport safety

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:56): (1460) My adjournment debate is for the Minister for Police, and the action I seek is for the minister to prioritise passenger safety on our regional trains and commit to increasing protective services officers on the Gippsland rail line. My Traralgon constituent boarded a morning train at Southern Cross station on Sunday 9 February. Sitting quietly, Naomi was first apologetic, then shocked and terrified when an aggressive traveller demanded she remove her handbag and allegedly physically assaulted her before sitting next to her. A different passenger called the conductor and reported the woman as being verbally and physically abusive. The train approached Yarragon station. The woman allegedly physically assaulted Naomi a second time. As the scuffle ensued Naomi attempted to protect herself. The assailant pushed and twisted her chest and dislodged Naomi’s implantable cardioverter defibrillator, ICD, causing a life-threatening episode. The alleged attacker was able to disembark at Yarragon station. In considerable distress and with a malfunctioning ICD, Naomi suffered a myocardial infarction, a heart attack. She suffered a heart attack as a result of this incident. She subsequently spent a week in Melbourne’s heart hospital after receiving emergency treatment from paramedics. On the train her attacker had previously been involved in an aggressive act towards another passenger before targeting Naomi.

Gippsland’s public transport services have a mere two PSOs on roster at any given time in Traralgon, and there are 12 stations from Pakenham to Traralgon. It is woefully inadequate given there is rising crime and antisocial behaviour happening on our train lines. Regional commuters need a greater presence of PSOs to act as a deterrent, remove aggressive passengers and stop issues before they occur.

Highly traumatised by this terrible event, Naomi has related to me that she will never catch public transport again. She is struggling to leave the house and feels passengers on the Gippsland service are second-class citizens. She is not receiving the same protections that city commuters can and do. Once called ‘plastic policemen’ by the former Labor government, PSOs add a vital layer of safety in metropolitan Melbourne, and Naomi says: why can’t we have them? Minister, the assault on Naomi could have been fatal. The action I seek is the immediate installation of more PSOs on our Gippsland rail services, as regional communities deserve to feel safe and arrive home safely.