WHITTLESEA: Police station not fit for purpose
The State Government needs to commit to funding a new police station in Whittlesea township in the 2025-26 State Budget, says Northern Victoria MLC Wendy Lovell.
This comes after police representatives admitted that the existing station is not fit for purpose, Ms Lovell said.
Ms Lovell ttended a neighbourhood crime forum for the Whittlesea Police Service Area, where concerned residents spoke of the fear that exists around the community due to rising levels of violent crime.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency data show that crime is up by 28 per cent in the Whittlesea municipality.
Victoria Police representatives at the forum said that one of the major obstacles to more effectively tackling crime was resource constraints, and admitted that Whittlesea Police Station in particular was not fit for purpose and urgently needed to be replaced.
Between 2001 and 2021 the population of Whittlesea local government area more than doubled. The City of Whittlesea expects the Northern Ward of the municipality, which includes the Whittlesea township, to see the greatest amount of growth in future and this will require improved and expanded policing services in the area.
“The Whittlesea police station building is rickety, full of asbestos and lacks disabled access,” Ms Lovell said.
“Six years ago minor renovations that added some security features and replaced old doors were done, but that is not good enough.”
“The Allan Labor Government is not taking crime seriously and it’s Victorians who are suffering.
“The Police Minister must ensure that a new police station in Whittlesea is funded in the upcoming budget so that the hardworking local officers have the resources they need to do the job they were trained for,” Ms Lovell said.