WESTERN Victoria MP Bev McArthur said 98 one-person police stations across Victoria, including Dunkeld and Penshurst, were at risk of being without a police presence due to staffing shortages across the state.

She said it was alarming that the Victorian Government was considering rostering police officers from the one-person stations into larger regional centres and cities to fill vacancies.

 “In case the Andrews Government hasn’t caused enough damage in country and regional Victoria, the neglect appears to about to get worse,” Mrs McArthur said.

The rostering change is due to more than 800 police vacancies across the state and could impact towns such as Apsley, Avoca, Balmoral, Beeac, Birchip, Birregurra, Branxholme, Clunes, Dartmoor, Dunkeld, Dunolly, Gordon, Lake Bolac, Lavers Hill, Learmonth, Lexton, Linton, Skipton, Lismore, Merino, Meredith, Newstead, Penshurst, Natimuk, Rokewood, Smythesdale and Timboon.

“This problem is caused by Police HQ - and Commissioner Shane Patton’s mandate that nearby 24-hour stations must be fully staffed for every shift,” Mrs McArthur said.

 “While that’s all very good for those centres, it’s not so good for those outlying areas and small towns left exposed and without police protection.”

 Mrs McArthur said Police Association secretary, Wayne Gatt, was publicly quoted as being very concerned about the job losses and the slow capacity to replace them.

 He said, “We would not support changes that in our view would diminish a policing service to our regional communities”.

Mrs McArthur said every Victorian had a right to feel safe and that one of the key roles of any government was the safety and security of its people.

She said it shouldn’t matter where people live - safety should be available to everyone.

 “Crime happens everywhere,” she said.

“In the Southern Grampians Shire … in the year ending March 2023, the region registered 747 criminal incidents with 1194 offences recorded and 290 reported family incidents.

 “To assume all of these police-related matters only happened in the bigger towns such as Hamilton, would be wrong.

 “Any diminution of country standards must be avoided.

“Leave single-officer police stations alone. They do an incredible and important job for their communities.”