Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (13:01): (1376) My constituency matter is for the Minister for Police. Formosa Gardens, located in Leith Street in Redan, has served the Ballarat community for over 47 years and is a well-regarded nursery in the region. At the end of January a break-in occurred where offenders broke down the fence of the nursery and proceeded to steal multiple loads of stock. Thousands of dollars of plants, including bonsais, were stolen, along with wall art, a garden bed and even the CCTV cameras. Owner Katie said the family business is devastated. She actually said:

It’s deflating. As a small business owner you take hits enough as it is

You work so hard for the business. It’s a violation

Staff spent the morning after cleaning up and assessing the damage, which could take weeks. My question to the minister is: what assurance can you give to small businesses like Formosa Gardens in Redan that brazen criminal activity like this will not happen again under your watch?