Overview
- Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings leaders joined the retail lobby on the steps of parliament to call for tougher penalties and a dedicated retail crime taskforce.
- Official figures show retail theft in Victoria rose 27 percent in the year to June, with roughly one in three Australian retail crimes occurring in the state.
- Wesfarmers reported 13,500 threats to workers across its retailers in 12 months, including more than 1,000 assaults and several hundred weapon-related threats, with sharp rises at Bunnings and Kmart.
- Premier Jacinta Allan said a crackdown is being considered, including new or expanded offences and penalties, while Police Minister Anthony Carbines pointed to repeat offending and consequences for crime.
- Retailers and the Australian Retailers Association argue Victoria lacks strict, proactive retail-crime laws, as frontline staff describe assaults and threats and surveys show higher public concern in the state.