There were 578,762 criminal offences recorded in Victoria in the twelve months to September 2024 – an increase of 68,536 offences or 13.4%, the latest crime statistics released by Victoria Police reveal.

The crime rate when population growth is considered is 8,305.8 offences per 100,000 people – a 10.9% increase from the year before.

However, this remains lower than the highs of 2016 where the rate was 8,798 per 100,000 people.

With crime increasing, Victoria Police arrested 26,640 people a total of 70,863 times – the most arrests since 2005.

This equates to 194 arrests per day. These individuals were charged with a total of 268,142 offences.

For comparison, Victoria Police made 64,975 arrests last year and 56,330 arrests a decade ago (12 months to September 2015).

The top five offences to record the greatest year-on-year increase were:

• Theft from motor vehicle (68,042 offences, +13,924) reached record highs and remains the most common criminal offence.

More than a third of theft from motor vehicle offences relate to number plates being stolen (24,257 offences).

Power tools were the second most targeted item. 83% of all theft from motor vehicle offences showed no sign of forced entry.

• Theft from a retail store (35,951 offences, + 9,635) recorded the largest percentage increase of the top five crimes (+36.6%), with inflation, cost-of-living pressures and high interest rates driving record levels of grocery and alcohol thefts.

Meat, fresh produce, cosmetics, and vitamins are among the items most frequently stolen.

Police are running a series of retail theft operations across the state, surrounding clothing stores in South Yarra, supermarkets in Port Melbourne, large department stores in Melbourne’s CBD, hardware stores in Shepparton and even street markets selling stolen meat in St Albans.

It is anticipated this will remain an issue as cost-of-living pressures bite and first-time offenders turn to stealing.

The Hepburn Shire Council’s road reseal program started recently, in the lead up to Christmas, and following the festive season break will progress to take in rural areas around Dean and Smeaton along with urban roads in Daylesford, Clunes, Creswick and Trentham.

The council says it’s slightly earlier than the usual time of February to March for the program to begin.

Drivers who regularly use the Creswick Road between Creswick and Ballarat will have noticed the recent improvements to the section of overtaking lane just past the RACV Forest Resort.

The council, in a report, stated that road resealing is a maintenance activity to prolong the life of the existing sealed road network.

This year’s program will deliver around 19km (or 109,500 m2) of road reseal.

 “We prioritise roads based on official road inspections and their condition data,” the council’s report states.

“Traffic management will be in place and some minor delays are to be expected while crews are on site”.

This story based on a Hepburn Shire Council report

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have opened for the Castlemaine State Festival’s 50th-anniversary event set for March 19-29 in 2026.

Organisers are urging artists and creatives to propose works inspired by the festival’s theme, Surprise, Surprise! which celebrates wonder, curiosity, and the unexpected.

Submissions should draw from the region’s unique landscapes, hidden gems, and special spaces to create unforgettable artistic experiences.

EOIs are open to those living, working, or connected to Mount Alexander Shire, with selected external artists also invited to participate.

This is an opportunity to collaborate on a milestone event that highlights the region’s creativity and global connections.

Applicants should submit a concept for their proposed work, a location, production requirements, an anticipated budget (including a proposed fee), and support materials.

The Festival Programming team will shortlist proposals by April/May 2025, with funding and resources negotiated individually.

To get the full information, and details on this festival’s theme those interested in submitting an EOI can download the Artist EOI information pack at https://castlemainefestival.com.au/

Local music lovers will be pleased to hear that a popular series of free live music events is returning to liven up Sunday afternoons in Ballarat this January.

Summer Sundays returns to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in 2025, ensuring both locals and visitors to the wider region finish the summer school holiday weekends on the right note.

In a new family-friendly time, the concert series will be held from 3pm-7pm every Sunday throughout January, allowing more people to be able to absorb the festivities.

Summer Sundays is the only live music event held in the central area of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and displays an eclectic array of music from jazz to country, blues to pop, soul to folk, and afrobeat to indie-rock appealing to a diverse audience.  

This year, the lineup consists of a majority of local artists over the four weeks, highlighting the event’s commitment to fostering emerging local talent while delivering on the City of Ballarat’s Creative City Strategy.

City of Ballarat councillor Samantha McIntosh said the event had become a staple on the Ballarat events calendar, with thousands of people enjoying free live music in a picturesque setting every year.

“What better way can you spend a Sunday afternoon than relaxing in our beautiful Ballarat Botanical Gardens while listening to some amazing live music?” Cr McIntosh said.

“We’ve seen some great performances over the years and nobody ever goes home disappointed.

“At a time when everybody is experiencing cost of living pressures, it is fantastic to be able to provide something free that the whole family can enjoy.”

This year the event will once again provide an array of local food and beverage providers, with at least nine different food trucks every night.

The popular Garden Bar will be set up once again with the fully-licensed option showcasing some of the region’s best producers, offering comfortable seating options, shaded umbrellas, and good views of the stage.

The Garden Bar will be delivered by Aunty Jacks, Kilderkin Distillery and Blue Pyrenees Estate Winery.

The Bean Bag Lounge will also be back to make the afternoon even more comfortable, although numbers are limited. Patrons are welcome to bring their own rug and picnic.

The Summer Sundays program makes up just one part of a busy summer of events that help deliver on the Events Strategy.

Also included on the busy summer calendar is Christmas in Ballarat, the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular, and the Australia Day Picnic in the Park, all delivered by the City of Ballarat events team.

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release  

Not just for Christmas  Like puppies and kittens, they’re to keep and cherish for their lifetime. I’m talking  about house plants, because, with a little care and the right treatment and conditions  they can be expected to last for years – especially if they’re presented in an attractive, decorated pot.  

But it doesn’t stop with indoor plants. I’m yet to hear of anyone turning down a  flowering shrub or garden ornament as a gift.  

As an ardent last-minute panic Christmas shopper, let me tell you that there’s an  endless supply of garden goodies to be had with all of the little nurseries, florists and  gift shops scattered throughout our area.

Whether it be pot plants, garden ornaments  or sculptures, the choice is all yours.  If the choice is plant life, more than a little care is needed to select something that  is both appealing and capable of surviving way past the euphoria of Christmas Day, so buy locally from the people who know and grow for themselves.  

Obviously any gifted tree or shrub will yearn for the outdoors and should not be kept indoors any longer than Christmas/New Year before being released in the  garden.

But the indoor varieties are a different matter and will mostly thrive if placed in front of a well-lit window, preferably a southern one away from direct sunlight.  

Totally out of the sunlight is preferable for the soft-leaf ferns. Coming mostly  from the depths of rain forests, they can tolerate longer spells of low light. But for other cool-climate species, early morning sunlight is fine.  

Frost-sensitive plants such as poinsettia need the protection of double-glazing or a  constantly warm room to survive the worst of winter. Take care not to overwater your  plants, they are more likely to drown than to suffer from a few days without water.  

Potted plants for indoors, or a sheltered spot on the porch or terrace, are always  welcomed especially if they come in or with an attractive container.  

Most homes have a well-lit spot indoors where indoor plants will flourish – but  away from direct sunlight is best. These can range from ornamental foliaged plants such as ivy, sansevieria (snake plant), ficus, philodendrons or the vast range of  ornamental ferns, many of which are native to Australia.  

The all-time favourite saintpaulia or African violets are in bloom right now in a range of delightful colours from white to deep purple.  

For outdoors, larger plants along with suitably large containers always make  terrific gifts.  For a cool, shaded spot, nothing compares with hydrangeas.

In sunny places plants grown simply for their attractive foliage include cordyline flax, conifers and the slender-foliaged, dwarf, weeping acacias.  

Among my favourites would be the new range of fruiting miniature citrus trees  and the ubiquitous aspidistra. Since Victorian times, through decades of ridicule and downright rejection, these stalwarts (especially the striped, variegated form) have  survived neglect in dark, dusty corners to now rightfully claim their place of honour  in our homes and gardens.  

(Ed’s note: This is Glen’s last full column – he is finally taking time off to look after his health.  But he has promised to keep in touch with a monthly Q&A column. So feel free to email him at glenzgarden gmail.com, and if you have enjoyed his many years of columns maybe send him a  thank-you! I certainly thank him for all his hard work and wonderful pieces. Glen helped us get The Local off the ground! Our Godfather.)  

The Hepburn Shire Council is inviting local residents to attend a special event celebrating the shire’s Community Award winners for 2025 and welcoming its newest Australian citizens.

The upcoming free event will take place in the Loddon River Room at The Mechanics Trentham on Friday January 24 at 2pm.

The council will announce its new Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year, and Hepburn Together Award winners.

The Community Award winners for 2024 were ChillOut Festival (Event of the Year), Pat Tacey and Neville Cartledge (joint Citizens of the Year pictured above) and Alice Newitt (Young Citizen of the Year) with a Special Commendation also presented to the band Elysium.

Image: Joint Citizens of the Year, Pat Tacey and Neville Cartledge 

If you are one of those smiling, doughy-looking characters who mean well but whose biggest thrill of the year is to light up your front yard with inflatable plastic creatures that have nothing to do with a southern hemisphere Christmas celebration while drawing 150,000 amps per minute from the grid, don’t read on as you will find this column offensive.  

So, this is Christmas. The time of year the world’s commercial gears crank up to  full capacity. We seem to forget about the environmental dilemma we find ourselves in and buy lots of junk for the kids that will be lucky to make it in working order into the New Year.  

The lead-up to the big day has us guzzling booze and delicious food which only makes an appearance once a year such as Christmas mince pies and other assorted pastries in the shape of other Christmassy figures.  

And we aren’t satisfied until we have visited one of these turn-outs every other day prior to Christmas Day.  It is as if the world ends after Christmas. Everything has to be just right for the rellies to visit and you can’t get a tradesman for four weeks prior.  

The shopping centres are abuzz with the sound of parents making Christmas-style ‘no toys’ threats to their children. Most folks are already stretched beyond their budgets but keep buying in the hope the New Year will alleviate their budget woes.  And there is definitely a temporary woe reliever to be found in the bottom of the bubbly bottle.  

On the day itself, we humans seem to think it is our God-given right to make our family Christmas tables heave with all the poor little animals we can get our hands on.  

The prawns cop a hiding along with the ducks, pigs, geese, turkeys and little lambs for sausages. Someone’s probably even eating kangaroo or croc.  The day typically ends with bellies full, rude aunts and uncles draped over your soft furnishings and some sort of sporting activity in the backyard.

 I guess my dislike of the big day is deep-rooted, from growing up in my early years as a Jehovah’s Witness, where we did not celebrate such things or for that matter anything.  

But whether it’s your thing to have a traditional Christmas or more your bag to do what Donna and I did last year, which was a Macca’s quarter pounder and a movie, I hope you all enjoy the day.  

But please remember: to a kid under two, the box and gift paper are as good a present as the present itself and maybe just for a moment consider the environment.  Bah Humbug Christmas rant over…  

Ed’s note. I wonder if this means I don’t have to do a family Christmas with Kyle this year? And (below) in more Christmassy times! He hasn’t always been a Grinch…

Designs for the proposed new Ballarat Regional Animal Facility have been finalised, showcasing a state-of-the-art resource that’s expected to provide care for thousands of animals across Ballarat and the wider region.  

Working with the City of Ballarat, Architecture Matters has developed designs for a facility that allows for integrated outdoor and indoor facilities for the animals, improved infection control and ventilation and enhanced boarding capacity.  

Key features of the designs include:

• Segregated areas for dogs and cats, with all dog areas having access to outdoor pens and exercise yards.
• Adoption areas, where people can come in and meet their potential new pet.
• Dedicated animal kitchen facilities, for staff to prepare the food and enrichment activities for the cats and dogs.
• Two entrances, to ensure the correct requirements for people attending to adopt or surrender.
• Dedicated spaces for veterinary rooms, wash areas, a stockyard, meeting rooms and offices.

Waringa Drive in Ballarat’s Mitchell Park is slated as the site for the new facility which will also include solar panels, water harvesting initiatives, smart lighting and a building management system to assist in reducing ongoing power usage.

City of Ballarat mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the existing animal shelter is in an old, repurposed abattoir building that is not fit for purpose and is often at capacity.  

“It’s fantastic to see how the new facility will look, and how it will assist the staff to continue to provide an incredible level of care to all animals that come through the facility,” she said.  

“The Ballarat Animal Shelter currently provides care for more than 2,000 animals from Ballarat and neighbouring areas each year.”  

The $14.5 million project would not be possible without $11.5 million of funding from the State Government, with the City of Ballarat contributing a further $3 million.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence said the welfare of Victoria’s animals is a priority for the State Government.  

“This much needed facility will ensure more animals will be able to get the care they need and that our wonderful staff and volunteers have new state-of-the-art facilities to work in,” she said.

Tenders will open shortly for the construction, following an Expression of Interest phase, of the new Regional Animal Facility, with works anticipated to start in 2025.

The Planning Application for the new Regional Animal Facility is now in the public notice phase.

This story based on a city of ballarat media release 

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has launched a project in Vietnam to demonstrate AquaWatch Australia, a new water quality monitoring and forecasting system.   

The demonstration site at An Lao, in Hai Phong, aims to empower local shrimp farmers with near real-time data and forecasts to protect shrimp stocks by improving water management practices.   

The site is the first of its kind in Vietnam to calibrate the AquaWatch system for inland aquaculture and is expected to provide valuable insights for broader application.  

AquaWatch Australia Lead, Dr Alex Held, said AquaWatch works by combining satellite imagery and in-water sensors to deliver near real-time updates and forecasts.  

“This helps farmers anticipate challenges such as algal blooms and nutrient imbalances,” Dr Held said. 

“The system picks up on slight changes in water colour, which can signal water quality problems like algal blooms, excess sediment and run off contamination.   

“Vietnam’s aquaculture contributes significantly to the national economy, yet water quality issues can cause catastrophic losses for farmers. AquaWatch aims to bring reliable, timely data to help them make informed decisions to mitigate these risks.”  

CSIRO AquaWatch scientist, Dr Duy Nguyen, said this is pioneering work in Vietnam, which supports access to an integrated water monitoring system that combines satellite data, water sensor measurements and AI-based forecasting. 

“The demonstration site in Hai Phong is crucial for calibrating the technology to local conditions and it lays the groundwork for expanding AquaWatch to other waterways in Vietnam,” Dr Nguyen said.  

“With regular updates and water quality forecasts, shrimp farmers can better manage feeding schedules, adjust water exchanges, maintain water quality parameters within ideal ranges, and respond to extreme events like algal blooms.  

 “This can lead to healthier harvests and reduced environmental impacts.”  The pilot site in Hai Phong is a collaboration between CSIRO, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, and the Vietnam National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation (NAWAPI).”

The partnership brings advanced technology to Vietnam and strengthens its capacity for sustainable aquaculture.   

The AquaWatch Vietnam site joins other global demonstration sites for AquaWatch in Australia, Chile, Malaysia, Italy, United Kingdom and United States.  

This story based on a CSIRO report.

Mount Rowan in Ballarat is now home to a new purpose-built Incident Control Centre (ICC), with emergency management crews ready to respond if required this summer.  

The site includes an operational depot and office for Forest Fire Management (FFMVic) staff based in the  Midlands District and becomes an ICC during emergencies.  

The Mount Rowan site is one of 40 ICCs across the state and will provide a space for future Class 1  Emergencies to be managed, covering fire, flood and storm.  

This comes as more than 90 representatives from emergency service agencies gathered in Ballarat recently to prepare for the 2024/25 fire season, including the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Fire Rescue Victoria  (FRV), the State Emergency Service (SES), Victoria Police, Department of Health, local councils and  supporting agencies.  

AFAC – the national council for fire and emergency services – has forecast an above average fire season for  the west and south west of the state in its Spring Seasonal Bushfire Outlook (www.emv.vic.gov.au/victorian communities-urged-to-prepare-for-increased-fire-risk-this-spring).

Additional firefighting aircraft will be stationed in the Grampians region over summer to support the fire  response including two bombers and additional light fixed wing planes available on call at Horsham.  

There will also be a new infrared imaging system and a new 20 tonne excavator to assist with fire response.  

FFMVic prepares for bushfires year-round through planned burning, mechanical works, mulching,  maintaining strategic fuel breaks and more.  

Up to 550 seasonal firefighters have joined the workforce to help deliver fire and land management activities  and respond to bushfires and other emergencies.  

Authorities are reminding the community that bushfire safety is a shared responsibility.  Now is the time to develop a fire plan and prepare your properties for the hotter months.  

Grampians region Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Jason Hellyer: “The Mt Rowan ICC will enhance FFMVic and partner agencies’ ability to respond to future emergencies and protect communities around Ballarat including Daylesford, Trentham, Bacchus Marsh, Smythesdale,  Beaufort and Creswick.”  

“This new facility allows representatives from agencies across the state, including local government and  supporting agencies to assist in responding to emergencies.”

“The community should be preparing their properties for summer and making sure fire plans are up to date  and in place.”  

This story based on a state government media release.

By Donna Kelly  

As a journo of some years, let’s say 40, I have a love for words. I also like that language is always evolving. So it is always interesting to hear what the word of the year is, especially from the Australian Macquarie Dictionary.  

Drum roll please. The Word of the Year for 2024 is ‘enshittification’.  

The committee said the noun described the “gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking”.  

They said it was a “very basic Anglo-Saxon term wrapped in affixes which elevate it to being almost formal; almost respectable. This word captures what many of us feel is happening to the world and to so many aspects of our lives at the moment”.  

I like it. And so did many others, as it also won the People’s Choice Word of the Year. For only the third time since the awards started in 2006.  And I agree that while it would be easy to say the world is going to shit, using the term enshittification almost sounds polite.

Committee Honourable Mentions included the right to disconnect, another noun, which is a law that grants employees the right to not work or be contacted about work during non-work hours. I must mention that one to Kyle.

The waking me at 3am with a query like “did you put that final advert in?” is getting ridiculous. Then there is rawdogging. At first I thought this was something rude but it means the act of undertaking a long-haul flight with no electronic entertainment, devices or reading material, as in film, music, games, laptops, books, etc.

Hmmm. When we went to America we did a long-haul flight but maybe a sky couch is not really rawdogging.  

The People’s Choice first Honourable Mention was brainrot, which it seems many people have these days, and means being on a social media platform for an extended duration causing diminished mental capacity.  

Second was social battery, which I think I get, and means a supposed energy reserve someone has for engaging in social interactions, the reserve being depleted or stimulated depending on circumstances and an individual’s personality.  

The rest of the shortlist went like this:  

Fairy porn — a subgenre of fantasy fiction which explores relationships between humans and supernatural characters.  Incidentaloma — a tumour which is unexpectedly discovered while undergoing a  physical examination or surgery for an unrelated procedure.  

Looksmaxxing — the act of improving one’s physical attractiveness as much as possible, especially as undertaken by young men.  

Kup murri — an earth oven for pit cooking in the traditional Torres Strait Islander style.  

Overtourism — a situation in which too many people are visiting a tourist  destination, causing damage and degradation, and adversely affecting local residents.  

Q-day — a theoretical point in time at which quantum computers will become large-scale enough to enable the decryption of public key encryption algorithms.  

Pig butchering — a type of fraud in which a scammer portrays themselves as a friend, romantic interest or financial adviser, in order to gain the trust of their victim.  

Rent bidding — the practice of a prospective renter offering a higher price than that advertised in the hope that their rental application will be accepted over others.  

Sigma — a person who is well regarded as being exceptional in some way.  

Skibidi — a nonsense word used to mean any of various things depending on context, but often ‘cool’ or ‘excellent’.  

Spoon bowl — a match between the two lowest teams in a competition to determine which finishes the season at the bottom of the table.  

Oh, one last one. Over at the Australian National Dictionary Centre, they picked Colesworth as their Word of the Year.  Just one question. Are you getting your Colesworth? Just sayin’…  

A crowd of 250 to 300 people gathered in perfect conditions in the crater  of Lalgambuk (Mount Franklin) on Wednesday, December 11 to celebrate  International Mountain Day at a special event hosted by DJAARA.  

People, including school children, came together from throughout the region to learn more about International Mountain Day and particularly about the immense significance of mountainous landscapes to Indigenous cultures globally and through  time.  

Attendees took part in several educational and cultural activities including a guided walk that took them part of the way around the volcanic crater rim of  Lalgambuk.  

There was also a lively traditional emu dance that enticed quite a few to join in  and try out the moves.  The event also offered the chance to hear from Dja Dja Wurrung man, Harley  Douglas who grew up on Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country) not far from where  Wednesday’s celebration took place.  

Harley talked with attendees about his and his family’s long-standing connections  to Lalgambuk.  Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation group CEO Rodney Carter also  spoke, welcoming the crowd.  

A traditional Indigenous smoking ceremony was a feature of the occasion that was  celebrated as a day to come together as one people and connect with Country.  

It’s now hoped that International Mountain Day will become a regularly  celebrated fixture on the region’s calendar.  

Words: Eve Lamb  

Goldfields Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating after multiple grass fires broke out in the Goldfields area last week.

Emergency services responded to the first fire at the intersection of Barutas Road and Avoca-Bealiba Road, Bealiba on 15 December around 6am.

The following day, another fire was reported on Emu-Logan Road, Logan on 16 December about 5.30am.

Shortly after, a third fire was discovered on Logan-Bealiba Road, Cochranes Creek about 8.30am.

Luckily, none of the fires caused significant damage and were able to be contained before becoming out of control.

Detectives are also investigating another grass fire on Maryborough-St Arnaud Road in Alma on Wednesday 11 December about 3.25pm.

At this stage the fires are believed to be suspicious, and investigators are making enquiries into whether they are linked.

Police say they will investigate and take action to catch those responsible when a fire is deemed suspicious, whether it was a deliberate or reckless action.

Anyone found guilty of recklessly or intentionally causing a bushfire faces a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.

Lighting a fire on a total fire ban day can attract a fine of up to $46,000 or up to two years in jail.

The community also plays an incredibly important role in the prevention of bushfires and remains key in reporting reckless or suspicious behaviour.

Police are keen to speak to anyone who witnesses concerning behaviour in relation to fires, or anyone who has been told about this behaviour taking place.

Anyone who witnesses suspicious or reckless behaviour as it is occurring should call Triple Zero (000) and anyone with other information relating to these incidents should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppers.com.au

Hepburn Shire’s Kerbside bin collection trucks are sporting a new look.

And it’s not just about appearances.

As part of the Hepburn Shire Council’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible resource recovery, the Veolia bin collection trucks now feature informative messaging as part of their livery.

The more colourful new look and messaging is aimed at educating residents on how to better manage and reduce their household waste – something that’s in line with wider circular economy aims.

Bruce Lucas, Director Infrastructure and Delivery, said that the new look trucks will serve as a mobile educational tool, raising awareness about getting the right items into each bin. 

The initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce what is sent to landfill and increase participation in local recycling programs.

The trucks feature Sustainability Victoria developed graphics with clear and concise messages on how to sort waste correctly at home.  

“The key messages we want to get across to the community are to keep bags out of your recycling and food and garden organics bin, how to recycle properly, and ensuring that food and garden organics collected has no contamination given it is being made into compost to be used to improve local soils in our parks and open spaces,” said Mr Lucas.  

“We are excited to introduce this new campaign and bring educational messages directly to our residents using kerbside collection trucks.

:This is an exciting way to turn everyday bin collection into an educational opportunity. We’re hopeful that this initiative will spark conversations at the community level and inspire individuals to make lasting changes,” said Mr Lucas. 

The trucks have various messages on increasing resource recovery in our region through correct sorting at home.

Local residents will see the trucks traveling through their neighbourhoods as they make their regular collections, providing continuous reminders about the importance of sorting items correctly, and keeping items loose in their recycling and organics bins. 

In the new year as we reach one year since the introduction of the Food and Garden Organics collection service, we will also undertake a review of these services and how they are performing and keep community informed of this review.  

The council was able to fund these new messages on all four collection trucks thanks to a grant from Sustainability Victoria.

This story based on a Hepburn Shire Council media release

Victoria Police is putting family violence perpetrators on notice this Christmas as new data shows a rise in offending across the festive season.

Crime Statistics Agency figures show during December last year there were 8668 family violence incidents recorded across the state – an average of 279 incidents per day.

On Christmas Day alone the average increased by 33 per cent with 372 family violence incidents recorded.

The most common form of family violence recorded on Christmas Day related to perpetrators breaching orders – with 91 offences recorded, as well as assault – with 79 offences recorded.

Family Violence Command Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway said sadly for some people Christmas isn’t a time for celebration, so it’s important for the community to look out for loved ones experiencing, or at risk of experiencing the crime, to report it to police so perpetrators can be held to account.

“Our frontline police are continuing to respond to increasing reports of family violence each year – with a spike occurring on Christmas day.

“While Christmas is a time to get together and celebrate – we know it’s not always the case for some families – as perpetrators use the time together to control or harm family members.

“Whether it’s perpetrators breaching orders by either attending the victim’s home or using technology to make contact or committing assault – the behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“That’s why we are continuing to work tirelessly to track down perpetrators and keep victim-survivors safe – arresting one family violence perpetrator every 18 minutes across the state.

“This festive season we will also continue to conduct proactive patrols and checks to let perpetrators know they won’t get away with it.

“We need perpetrators to stop their harmful behaviours and to understand the significant impacts of their actions on their family.

“If you are concerned that your behaviour is putting the safety of family members at risk there are services to call who can help you to change.

“Maybe making that call is the best gift you can give your family this Christmas.

“We encourage Victorians to come together this festive season and look out for the signs of family violence, as families and communities, so that we can keep everyone safe.”

Victoria Police is committed to responding to all forms of family violence, keeping victim-survivors safe and holding perpetrators to account.

If you or someone close to you discloses they are a victim of family violence, please believe them and encourage them to contact police or a specialist support service.

Police not only provide safety for victims who make a report, they also refer them to support services, so they get the assistance they need.

Victoria Police works closely with specialist family violence support services, including Safe Steps and No to Violence, state-wide and will continue to do so throughout the festive period.

Support for those affected by family violence is available 24 hours a day through Safe Steps by calling 1800 015 188 or emailing safesteps@safesteps.org.au.

Safe Steps also has Web Chat available on weekdays from 9am – Midnight, which can be accessed by visiting safesteps.org.au/chat.

If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s behaviour – No to Violence runs a Men’s Referral Service which helps men who use violence to change their behaviour and can be contacted on 1300 766 491.

In an emergency call Triple Zero (000). If you can’t get to a phone, ask someone else to do it for you.

Organisations and professionals working to end family violence can access information and training through Safe and Equal by emailing admin@safeandequal.org.au

For more information on what Victoria Police is doing to protect victim-survivors of family violence visit police.vic.gov.au/family-violence.