Tuesday, 8 September 2026

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (14:27): Today I want to draw the chamber’s attention to the Southbank fiasco that is occurring with the police station. On 4 October the government will close the doors. People will not be able to access the Southbank police station. This is another example of how seriously things are deteriorating in this state. Noting Southbank covers both Port Phillip and Melbourne, it is interesting that the number of crimes reported in Melbourne over the last three years has increased by 32.63 per cent to 45,560 and in Port Phillip by 22.94 per cent to 15,986. These are significant increases in the amount of crime in the area, and yet the government is closing the doors of the police station. It is shocking that they are doing this. Southbank itself has had in the last year 3425 crimes reported. It is a hotspot for serious crime, car offences, robberies and burglaries. These are very serious offences, and this government’s response is to close the police station down. We say the police station should be reopened. It should not be allowed to close on 4 October. People in Southbank are entitled to protection and entitled to safety, and it is outrageous that this government, as a cost-cutting exercise, is closing the police station. It should be reopened from the 4th.