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WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER LENNY White and Noah Cooper were rapt to check out Bubblegum the blue-tongue lizard as part of the Animals of Oz wildlife presentation in Wangaratta on Friday. The show, which featured everything from possums to spiders, was part of NAIDOC Week celebrations. Full story, more photos page 2. PHOTO: Bailey Zimmermann
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SAFETY CONCERNS
ROAD safety and the safety of personal possessions are among the local community’s biggest concerns, according to an in-depth police survey initiative. Local residents were among more than 11,000 across the state who took part in Victoria Police’s recent community sentiment survey, with Wangaratta and Wodonga residents also highlighting drug and alcohol-related
Residents identifyy keyy issues as part p of police p surveyy BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au
offending and safety in public places as key concerns. The survey was available over a five week period between March 31 and May 7, with respondents asked to select their top three
community safety concerns out of eight options. Safety on Victorian roads has been a key talking point throughout the year, with some 161 fatalities occurring throughout the state so far this year, a 29.8 per cent increase on last year’s figures. Five road users have died in 2023 on roads within the Rural City of Wangaratta, the highest figure among
the North East local government areas (LGAs). A decline in the safety of personal property was also reflected in recent crime statistics for the rural city, with the Crime Statistics Agency reporting thefts from retail stores (90 up from 56 in 2022) and thefts from motor vehicles (103 from 60) had each increased considerably in the 12 months to March.
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Motor vehicle thefts also rose from 23 to 54 during the same timeframe, while local police have investigated a spate of thefts from construction sites as recently as last month. The concerns expressed by Wangaratta residents were largely in line with statewide results, a Victoria Police spokesperson said. Some 58 per cent of
Victorian respondents expressed concern around safety in public places, while safety of property and possessions ranked second. Half of respondents identified road safety as a top-three concern. “Victoria Police’s community sentiment survey shows safety in public spaces ranked as the top safety concern for a second successive year,” the spokesperson said. ■ Continued page 2