Tuesday, 26 August 2025

Epping police station

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (00:23): (1860) My question is for the Minister for Police, and the action that I seek is for the minister to confirm how many days since 1 July 2024 the Epping police station has been closed and the reason for each closure and also to commit to providing adequate police numbers at Epping station to ensure that it always remains open to serve the residents of Epping.

In a recent meeting with Whittlesea council I was made aware of the troubling news that on 15 July this year Epping police station had been closed due to staff shortages. It is completely unacceptable that in Victoria local residents are being abandoned, left high and dry without a police station to visit or call, because the Labor government has totally dropped the ball on staffing our police force. I have also been contacted by several constituents who have alerted me to rumoured plans to permanently close the Epping station and redistribute the staff between Mill Park and Mernda police stations due to ongoing police shortages and also because of the Allan Labor government’s failure to properly maintain the building. For the sake of transparency and in the public interest, the Minister for Police must clarify how many times Epping station has closed and for what reasons.

The possibility that the station may close permanently is very worrying indeed. According to the last Crime Statistics Agency data, aggravated robbery in the City of Whittlesea increased by 24 per cent, residential aggravated burglary increased by 31 per cent, stealing from a retail store increased by 45 per cent and motor vehicle theft increased by a staggering 81 per cent. These numbers really hit home when we look at the horrific headlines of crime in Epping. For example, in February this year a 14-year-old girl and a security guard at the Pacific Epping shopping centre were stabbed during a fight involving three girls. Then in May four teenagers were arrested after an attempted carjacking in a busy Epping shopping centre car park. The statistics and the stories of crime are both deeply troubling, and residents of Epping no longer feel safe in their homes. That is why reports of understaffing and the potential closure of Epping station are so worrying. Residents rely on their local station to provide a rapid response to call-outs in the area. Waiting too long for police to come from a station further away could mean the difference between life and death. The people of Epping deserve a police station that is open and able to provide a rapid response to calls for help and a close place of refuge for those in need of urgent assistance.

Crime is out of control in Victoria because the Allan Labor government refuses to take a strong stance against repeat offenders and continues to let them out on bail. The Liberals will restore police funding and bring back move-on powers to ensure Victorians feel safe again.