Tuesday, 2 June 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (22:23): (2532) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police. The action that I seek is for the minister to ensure that police stations in the Whittlesea police service area are fully staffed and to return the Mernda station to being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My constituents in the Yan Yean district were shocked and outraged to learn that the police station in Mernda will be reduced to being open just two days a week. This is the second time within six months that opening hours for police stations in the area have been reduced, and the community has had enough. Opening hours at stations in the area were first cut on 2 November last year, when Mernda and Epping stations were closed completely on weekends and only open between 10 am and 6 pm on weekdays. Mill Park was left as the only 24/7 police station, but after the latest rounds of cuts to opening hours, Mill Park station will only be open from 1 to 9 pm on weekdays and 10 to 6 on weekends. This leaves the entire area without a single 24/7 police station, and nowhere for residents to seek safety at night or on the weekend. I am thinking particularly of the many women who I have heard from who say that domestic violence typically occurs at night or on weekends, and they may need to leave the house at a moment’s notice. Where are these women supposed to go if the police station is closed?

In December last year a woman in a car stopped at an intersection and was approached by a man who attacked and damaged the car. The woman was frightened and drove off and then pulled into the car park of Reservoir police station, only 100 metres away. She got out of the car and tried to enter the police station to seek help, only to find that it was closed and unstaffed. Worse, the man had followed her car and then cornered her in the police station car park, attacking and slashing her with a knife. In the very place where this woman had gone to find safety, she was left alone and defenceless because the station was closed.

The government says that taking officers off the reception desk leaves them free to be on patrol. But on the very first day that reduced hours came into effect in Whittlesea, residents called 000 at 12:45 pm to report an intruder trying to break into multiple homes in Donnybrook but did not receive a police response until 3:40 pm. Hardworking officers are doing the best that they can in difficult conditions, but the Labor government is not giving them the resources and support they need. Under Labor, crime is up, but police stations are closing because Jacinta Allan has failed to fix the staffing shortage. Constantly changing the opening hours confuses the public and leaves them worried help will not be there when they need it. This is unacceptable for the community, and my constituents deserve better.