[Jade Benham] Crime taking a toll on communities

Communities throughout the Mildura electorate are feeling increasingly uneasy as crime continues to affect daily life, The Nationals' Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, told Parliament this week.

"People in our region are proud and resilient, but right now they are feeling unsafe in their own communities," Ms Benham said.

Small business owners are dealing with repeat theft and damage, often absorbing the costs themselves because reporting it is no longer worth it. Families are hesitant to let their children walk home from sport or school. Frontline workers, from retail staff to police, healthcare workers, and volunteers, are facing abuse as part of their everyday work.

"Weak bail laws, unfilled police vacancies, and cuts to frontline services mean criminals face almost no consequences, while regional Victorians continue to suffer," she said.

"This is not abstract. These are real experiences happening every single day in our towns," Ms Benham said.

Residents in regional areas often feel overlooked and underestimated. "When crime happens in Melbourne, it makes headlines. When it happens in Mildura, Robinvale, Beulah, and other small towns, it's often treated as just another day," she said.

Ms Benham challenged the Premier to take action to prevent crime and ensure stronger consequences for those who commit offences.

"I encourage the Premier to watch the documentary by Big Chocky featuring the parents of Aidan Becker. It is a powerful reminder of the human cost behind the statistics. If we want to understand Victoria's crime crisis, we need to hear directly from those living it," she said.

"Our communities deserve to feel safe, and it's time the Allan Labor Government acts to make this happen."