By Kath Gannaway
Crime has been identified as a key issue for the Liberal Opposition at the next election (2018) and a forum at Woori Yallock this month aims to identify the major concerns of Yarra Ranges residents.
Eildon MP Cindy McLeish and Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe are hosting the Yarra Valley Law and Order Forum with guest speakers Shadow Attorney General John Pessutto and Shadow Minister for Corrections, Police and Community Safety Edward O’Donohue.
Issues on the agenda will include police resources, CCTV cameras, home invasion, street crime, family violence, drug abuse and bail laws and there is an invitation for residents and business operators who have been affected by crime to speak up and share their experience.
Citing crime statistics over for the two years of the Labor government, the MPs say crime has risen 18 per cent across Victoria.
Statistics for the Yarra Ranges from the Crime Statistics Agency over the two years have also seen increases in burglary and break-and-enter from 572 offences to 774 (up 26 per cent); theft – 2096 to 2715 (up 22.8 per cent); assault – 646 to 724 (up 10.7 per cent) and breaches of orders – 613 to 997 (up 44 per cent).
Paradoxically, drug dealing and trafficking is down from 85 to 59 (-30.5 per cent), along with cultivating or manufacturing drugs down from 60 to 33 (-81.8 per cent), while drug use and possession is up 349 to 558 (37.46 per cent).
Ms McLeish said Mr Pesutto and Mr O’Donohue were attending forums throughout Victoria.
“The Coalition team is actively engaging with the Victorian community to develop our plan to end this state’s law and order crisis,” Ms McLeish said.
Yarra Glen Chamber of Commerce chairman Rod Thomas said the chamber was talking directly to police to address crime in Yarra Glen and was actively engaged in getting CCTV for the town.
“To address the burgeoning crime problem in Yarra Glen we have advocated for and have been successful in getting CCTV cameras with the chamber paying the insurance on them,” he said.
“We feel this will go a long way to identifying and then apprehending people involved in criminal activity.”
The Mail has this year reported on burglaries from businesses in Yarra Glen and Yarra Junction in April and May and in July reported on a spike in burglaries on semi-rural property around Mount Evelyn and Seville.
Lyn Spain, owner of Yarra Travel Junction in Yarra Junction, was robbed for the first time in 27 years earlier this year.
She believes businesses in the valley have it pretty good compared to inner suburbs, but welcomed the opportunity that the forum will offer for people to put their case and find out what is available to keep Yarra Valley businesses safe.
Healesville and Yarra Junction have CCTV in their main business areas and Federal Government funding of $420,000 was set to provide CCTV cameras in Yarra Glen, Woori Yallock, Mooroolbark, Monbulk and Mount Evelyn.
Federal Casey MP Tony Smith said the cameras would provide a valuable expanded security network for local police, create one of the most extensive networks in any locality and deter and detect crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Where they have been installed, they have reduced local crime by up to 70 per cent,” Mr Smith said.
The two-hour Yarra Valley Law and Order Forum starts at 6pm at Heritage Chapel, 1414 Healesville-Kooweerup Road, Woori Yallock.
Residents wanting to attend are asked to register online at www.cindymcleish.com.au/eildonevents or phone 9730 1066.
