Thursday, 6 March 2025

 Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (09:42): I rise today to talk about the very important neighbourhood policing forum held in my electorate last week. This was organised by Victoria Police and provided valuable insights into how Victoria Police serve our local community and also received community’s feedback.

Family violence is still a scourge in our community, and the challenges we face as a society are still significant. That is why it was great to hear that the family violence investigation unit implemented by the Allan Labor government after the Royal Commission into Family Violence has been of great assistance. Officers shared that this new unit provides them with better resources to achieve improved outcomes for victims. While family violence crimes are on the rise, the positive is that more women are finding the courage to report these crimes and seek help.

The rise in youth crime was another area of concern. The police reassured the public that they have been proactive, running educational programs in schools and other social settings, helping young people understand the consequences of their actions.

Road safety was an issue raised by the local community, but it was good to hear our northern suburbs have the lowest incidence of road safety issues in comparison to other council areas. It was also encouraging to hear local police are achieving strong outcomes on tracking drug trafficking in our community.