One-person police stations across Victoria are under threat, with a new proposal seeing one-person police stations being phased out much to the detriment of smaller regional towns.
Nationals Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, said that this would take yet another essential service away from small country towns.
“These small country towns often are too far away from any major centres for a response within a reasonable time.”
“The loss of single officer stations equates to further pressure on incident response times.
The Mildura electorate has thirteen stations under threat, with stations in Murrayville, Underbool, Werrimull, Manangatang, Birchip, Culgoa, Sea Lake, Wycheproof, Speed, Beulah, Minyip, Rupanyup and Woomelang.
“The Nationals fiercely oppose the diminishing of police resources in our rural areas, we need more cops not less.
“Police in small towns are more than just the local officer, but an integral part of the community, and have to balance the fine line of enforcing the law and being mates with locals.
“This is another example of small country towns being sacrificed in the name of bureaucracy and decisions being made in Melbourne.
“What might work in Melbourne does not always work in the country.
“We need the decision makers to come out to the country and actually experience what it means to live in a small country town.”
