Victoria’s workplace protection order laws have passed Parliament, but the retail sector is warning that gaps in the legislation could leave frontline workers exposed to violence and abuse from repeat offenders while courts work through cases.
The Australian Retail Council (ARC) said the absence of interim orders creates a dangerous window. Under the new framework, workers may have to wait for a final protection order to be granted, and during that period, they remain vulnerable to the same individuals who threatened them in the first place.
Retailers say the law falls short of its promise
ARC chief executive Chris Rodwell said retailers had pushed for these measures for years, given the daily reality of violence, threats, and intimidation faced by shop workers across the state. He said it was deeply disappointing that the legislation did not fully deliver on its promise. “Victoria did not need to reinvent the wheel,” he added.
The criticism lands against a backdrop of rising retail crime. Crime Statistics Agency data shows 4,823 assault and related offences were recorded at retail locations in the year to March. Stalking, harassment, and threatening behaviour climbed by 10.1 per cent over the same period. Auror data puts the daily figure for violent retail incidents in Victoria at roughly 100 — more than one-third of the national total.
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Government defends its approach
The Victorian Government rejected the need for interim orders, arguing that it has already lowered the threshold for granting a final barring order, which makes the court process faster than it used to be.
Retailers disagree.
The ARC chief described Victoria’s workplace protection order framework as the weakest in Australia, while the state records the highest level of retail crime in the country. The council also pointed to the death of a retail worker in an alleged attack in Melbourne several weeks ago as it renewed its call for stronger protections.
Coles and Woolworths both backed the push for interim orders. Coles executive general manager of supermarket operations Martin Smithson said the company had long advocated for the measure. He cited South Australia, where workplace protection legislation was introduced within six months and threatening incidents have since dropped by 16 per cent. Woolworths head of violence prevention Sarah Faorlin said the court process simply moves too slowly for workers who face danger every shift.
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Retailers are not convinced, and the data supports them.
“Court processes take time, and during that time, our team members continue to be abused and assaulted by these individuals.” She argued that Victorian workers should not have a weaker protection framework than their counterparts in South Australia and the ACT.
There was one concession from the Government that the council welcomed: the commencement date for workplace protection orders has been pulled forward from July next year to March. Rodwell said the industry had hoped the orders would be operational by the end of this year, but the earlier start is at least a step in the right direction.
