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Alpine Division 200923

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THE ALPINE

BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Phone: (03) 5752 1058

$2.00 (inc.GST)

www.alpineobserver.com.au

Keep our officer here

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READY FOR RUN FUN POLICE PRESENCE: Secretary for the Dederang Recreation Reserve Committee of Management, Wendy Graham, supports having a local police officer and feels they are an important crime deterrent. PHOTO: Brodie Everist

Calls for one-person station to stay, while Victoria Police say they aren’t considering station closure KIEWA Valley residents are showing support for the one-person Dederang Police Station amid claims one-person stations may close due to changes in the Victoria Police Enterprise Agreement allowing local police to be rostered to regional centres and cities. According to a statement released by state Shadow Minster for Police Brad Battin, Victoria Police has lodged claims with the Police Association that would amend their current enterprise agreement, increasing mobility for deployment and rostering of one-person station employees. The statement claims that, if successful, the changes could mean employees from 98 one-person stations in small towns across Victoria may be rostered out to larger regional centres and cities. The Dederang General Store is currently hosting a petition from Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy calling to stop the closure of one-

BY BRODIE EVERIST beverist@ nemedia.com.au

person police stations across the North East. Ross Packham, co-owner of the store, said the petition has been well-signed so far, with around 4-5 A4 pages worth of signatures as of last Friday, and most were from residents around Dederang and Kergunyah. Mr Packham likened having a local police officer to a “security blanket”, though he said Dederang is quite a safe area. “I know instances where I’ve tried to call Mount Beauty police station and you get put through to Wangaratta,” he said. “It can be frustrating - whereas if you have a local policeman you can contact them direct.”

Wendy Graham, secretary of the local recreation reserve, said until recently Dederang hadn’t had a local police officer for around two years, and she said there had been an increase in crime during that time, including the theft of firewood from the football club and vandalism at the reserve. “I think a policeman in the area is a deterrent,” she said. “When you have a policeman living in the town, they become a member of the community, and they learn a lot from talking to locals, observing locals. “You get to know them and they know the routines of the district.” A spokesperson for Victoria Police said there are no plans to permanently close one-member stations and they have no ongoing issues staffing one-person stations due to resourcing. They confirmed that negotiation for the next enterprise bargain-

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ing agreement has begun, but said they will not comment on specific matters which may be the subject of negotiation. Police Association Victoria secretary, Wayne Gatt, said the association will engage with Victoria Police in good faith to understand what is being sought in changes to the resourcing of single-officer stations. “We would not support changes that in our view would diminish a policing service to our regional communities,” they said. “Policing is seeing a higher than usual attrition rate and while this is being seen in other workplaces too, our members report that they are leaving for better paying and more flexible employment, that is less stressful and more supported. “Addressing these issues must be a key focus for Victoria Police, as opposed to attempting to rationalise policing services in regional communities.”

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