Wednesday, 3 December 2025

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (19:48): (2209) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police, and the action that I seek is for the minister to urgently address the recently released Victorian police data that has identified south-east Melbourne – including Greater Dandenong, the City of Casey and the city of Cardinia as a drug-driving hotspot. The government must urgently outline what specific measures it will take to strengthen roadside enforcement, review prevention initiatives and invest in community education campaigns in south-east Melbourne. The government must commit funding and set a clear timeline for these actions to ensure that residents in the local government areas of Casey, Dandenong and also Cardinia – in fact we could include the City of Frankston in this as well – are protected from drug-driving offences. Dandenong has been recorded as the suburb with the second-highest rate in the state, recording 114 offences under the influence of illicit substances in the past financial year. Pakenham, which is just outside the electorate boundary of the south-east region, has the highest, with 358 drug-driving offences recorded, and I can say quite categorically that some of those people would be living in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region. Frankston is the third-worst suburb for drug-driving in the state, and it is also out in the south-east in my area. The south-east municipalities of Casey, Cardinia and Dandenong account for nearly one-fifth of all drug-driving incidents in Victoria, with more than half of the offenders being repeat offenders. It is not just a statistic, it is a public safety crisis.

Our community is being put at risk every single day. Police enforcement alone is clearly failing. I am not being critical of the police; they can only do what they can do with the resources that they have available. But the data clearly shows that without urgent intervention, drug driving will continue to endanger lives on our roads. The fact that 58 per cent of offenders are repeat offenders demonstrates that current measures are not deterring dangerous behaviour. The government needs to do more, rather than depending on an overworked and under-resourced police force. It is clear that we need a comprehensive response that goes beyond policing and penalties. Drug driving is not only a law and order issue, it is also a health and community safety issue. South-east Melbourne already faces significant challenges with unemployment, housing stress and youth disengagement. These factors compound the risks and make it even more urgent that the government steps in with targeted programs. Road safety campaigns must be tailored to the realities of these communities, not just big, generic messages that fail to resonate.