The South Australian parliament has just passed new retail crime crackdown laws that retailers are calling a historic moment.
The Workplace Protection Order legislation will allow police and courts to ban violent, abusive or repeat offenders from re-entering retail stores and shopping centres for 12 months or more.
Breaching this order can result in up to five years’ imprisonment.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) called the new laws a landmark moment for retail worker safety and a major step forward in the national fight against retail crime.
“This is a historic day for retail safety in South Australia,” ARA CEO Chris Rodwell said. “Retail workers are exposed to abuse, threats and assaults at levels that are simply unacceptable — with a serious or violent incident occurring every five minutes across the country.
“By passing Workplace Protection Orders, South Australia has delivered one of the strongest tools available to keep repeat and high-harm offenders out of stores and shopping centres. It’s a game-changing reform that will make a real difference on the ground.”
Rodwell added that the new laws directly target the small cohort of individuals responsible for the majority of retail crime incidents.
“Research shows that 10 per cent of offenders commit around 60 per cent of retail crime. These laws go straight to the heart of the problem by removing repeat offenders from our retail precincts, giving workers the confidence they deserve and restoring safety for customers.”
South Australia now joins the ACT as the first two jurisdictions in Australia to formally legislate Workplace Protection Orders — positioning the state as a national leader in evidence-based responses to retail crime.
The ARA and the NRA have been calling for similar laws to be introduced in Melbourne, where retail crime has recently been more rampant.
Both peak bodies also acknowledge the foundational work already underway in South Australia through Operation Measure, which focuses on high-harm, repeat offenders and is already disrupting organised criminal activity in retail settings.
“South Australia has continually set the standard and was the first state to introduce tougher penalties for retail crime,” Rodwell said. “This is the type of clear, decisive action that retailers across Australia have been calling for. We hope today’s passage of legislation encourages other states and territories to follow suit without delay.”
The Workplace Protection Order legislation is set to be implemented in the coming months.