Thursday, 3 April 2025

Ballarat crime

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (18:10): (1587) I feel like a bit of a broken record tonight because my adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police because yet again another Ballarat business has been broken into. This time thieves made off with over $30,000 worth of products from a battery supply store in Wendouree. Footage captured two men appearing to break through the door of Ballarat Battery Service on Howitt Street at 2:30 am on Sunday 23 March. Products that were stolen included generators, power stations, solar panels, inverters and jump-starters. Co-owner Nick Robson said, ‘It has set us back a couple of months.’ Some of the items that were stolen were specifically custom-made for orders with specific requirements. ‘We run a small family-owned business,’ he said.

How does the government think that a small business can operate under these circumstances? Why would any staff even want to turn up to a workplace that has been smashed into? How does a small business operator try and grapple with the ongoing costs of increased insurance premiums, upgrades to security cameras and protective measures instore from all the incidents that are no fault of their own – never mind the inconvenience of actually being broken into, the mental impact on the owners and the employees and the shock to customers.

Two men, a 32-year-old man from Sebastopol and a 42-year-old man from Sebastopol, have been released on bail – no surprise there, is there? It must be all those big new tough bail laws that have been introduced, striking fear into the criminals. It comes as crime statistics show that the number of non-aggravated burglaries at non-residential properties in Ballarat, which are effectively businesses, has skyrocketed by over 36 per cent.

The action I seek from the minister is simple: reform our criminal justice system so that these sorts of crimes are not commonplace in our communities. Criminal actions should be met with proportionate criminal consequences. Penalties for criminal activities are too weak in Victoria, and the government are seen as a joke. Work with your colleagues to empower Victoria Police to protect our communities instead of dismissing their legitimate concerns, because if you do not, what are the consequences – more businesses are broken into, more businesses are going to pack up shop because they cannot rely on the state to maintain a lawful and orderly society where they can operate a business in peace. It is a basic function of government to maintain law and order. We are not asking for anything special. This is core business of government that is clearly not being met. My constituents of Ballarat are not unique. This happens right across the state and all too regularly. I hope the government does take action before another small business is broken into and decides it is all too hard and gives up.