The Australian Retail Council (ARC) is unhappy with the Victorian Government’s delay on introducing workplace protection order (WPO) legislation, to help crack down on rising retail crime.
WPOs essentially allow police and courts to ban violent, abusive or repeat offenders from re-entering retail stores and shopping centres over a certain timeframe. South Australia recently signed this legislation into its own books, with the Australian Capital Territory being another jurisdiction that uses WPOs. New South Wales is currently looking into applying this
According to the ARC, it is now clear the legislation will not be introduced to Parliament in April as intended, leaving a critical gap in protections for frontline retail workers.
ARC CEO Chris Rodwell said the delay comes at a time when retail crime in Victoria continues to worsen, with the latest data showing escalating incidents of theft, abuse and violence across the state.
“Retail workers are facing unacceptable levels of abuse and violence every day, and they do not have the protections they need to stay safe at work,” Rodwell said. “It is disappointing that this critical safeguard is still not in place. Retail workers cannot afford further delays.”
New Crime Statistics Agency data revealed that there were almost 100,000 reported crimes in retail settings last year – the equivalent of one incident every five minutes.
The data, covering the year to September 2025, shows retail is now the third most common location for recorded crime in the state, behind only streets and private dwellings, placing frontline retail workers and customers at increasing risk.
The ARC is calling on the Victorian Government to urgently progress legislation and prioritise its introduction to Parliament.
In addition to WPO legislation, Rodwell is also urging the Victorian Government to establish a dedicated, state-wide retail crime taskforce, consistent with approaches in New South Wales and South Australia.
“Victoria is the retail crime capital of Australia,” Rodwell said. “The response needs to match the scale of the problem. A coordinated, well-resourced taskforce is essential to tackling retail crime across the state to protect workers, businesses and communities, not just in a few Melbourne shopping centres.
“This cannot be kicked down the road any longer. The longer this is delayed, the worse the situation will become.”