Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (18:32): (2465) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police. The action that I seek is for the minister to ensure that protective services officers start their patrols at Mernda train station earlier in the afternoon. My constituents in Yan Yean district are seriously concerned for their safety while riding the train and walking through the Mernda train station, because crime is out of control under the Labor government.

Crime in general has gone up by 56 per cent in the City of Whittlesea police service area since the Labor government was re-elected in 2022. The growing number of crimes carried out specifically on public transport or around train stations and bus stops is even more alarming. The latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency shows that criminal incidents on public transport in the City of Whittlesea, which includes Mernda station, have gone up by 137 per cent in the last two years. It is clear that public spaces like trains and train stations are hotspots for crime, as thugs brazenly carry knives or weapons and use them to rob or assault members of the public.

I was recently contacted by a resident of Epping who regularly commutes on the Mernda line. He told me how fights often break out on the train, causing mayhem and forcing bystanders to fear for their own safety. Just the other day he was inspired by the example of Aidan Becker and tried to step in and help someone who was being attacked. Thankfully only a few punches were thrown and no-one sustained any serious injuries. The fight ended when the train arrived at the station and the doors opened. The PSOs eventually helped the victim off the train. But my constituent was rightly worried about a breakdown in communication that meant that the PSOs were not alerted to the fact that a criminal assault was in progress on the train as it was pulling up to the platform that they were patrolling. Parents in particular are deeply worried that there is no protection for their kids at train stations in the dangerous hours after school has finished and before the PSOs start their shifts.

Currently PSOs start their shift at Mernda station at 6 pm, but this is 2 hours after students have started travelling home from school. When winter arrives and the days shorten it will start getting darker even earlier, making members of the public feel uneasy at stations that have a reputation for crime. It was revealed late last year that the Allan Labor government were planning to strip PSOs from 120 train stations, but they refuse to reveal which stations. Victorians deserve to feel safe when they are travelling on public transport, walking through train stations or waiting at bus stops. Under this Labor government they are often gripped with fear. I urge the minister to ensure that PSO patrols start their shifts earlier in the afternoon at Mernda train station.