AUGUST 10, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
(Damjan Janevski)
Business bowls on More than 50 businesses are in the finalists’ line-up for this year’s Wyndham business awards. Among those chasing one of the 16 awards is WynCity Bowl and Entertainment Centre. Managing director Edi Depellegrin says the business, started by her father more than 30 years ago, won a mayoral award 10 years ago. She said she is proud the centre is a finalist in the 2016 awards in the tourism and hospitality category. “It’s a really positive experience and it gets you to scrutinise your business, looking at it section by section,” she said. “Of course we want to win, but it’s good to just be recognised.” Wyndham council’s economic development portfolio holder Cr Intaj Khan said finalists included some of Wyndham’s larger companies, which have been established for many years, as well as new and emerging businesses that have been trading for less than two years. The awards will be presented at the Encore Events Centre on August 26 from 7pm. Tickets: www.wyndham.vic.gov.au or email businessawards@wyndham.vic.gov. au. EDI DEPELLEGRIN
Adem Saban
Cop allocation slammed By Adem Saban Thirty-six frontline police officers have been ripped out of Wyndham police stations to work on taskforces, according to the Police Association. The numbers have been revealed as residents across Wyndham campaign for a greater police presence, calling for additional officer numbers to bring the municipality up to the state’s average in the wake of increased incidents of aggravated burglary. Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said police members being taken off the frontline to work on taskforces was “making a bad situation even worse”.
“Even with all members available for first-response duty, Wyndham has the worst police-to-population ratio in Victoria with 49 response officers per 100,000 people,” Mr Iddles said. “This pales compared to the state average of 102 for every 100,000 people.” Mr Iddles said removing members from the frontline impacted on service delivery to the public and was placing great stress on “already over-burdened members whose health and wellbeing is being put more at risk”. Questioned on the effectiveness of relocating frontline police to taskforces, Police Minister Lisa Neville said decisions about the best operational responses to crime were best left
with those with the necessary training and years of experience. “However, police have indicated that taskforces and frontline policing work hand in hand,” she said. “Without the intelligence, specialist skills and resources like aerial surveillance, detectives investigating serious crime would not have the same success. They rely on each other.” Ms Neville cited Operation Cosmas, a statewide police operation launched in May to target aggravated burglaries and carjackings as an example of a frontline and taskforce partnership that worked. Victoria Police spokesman Ben Radisich said the organisation’s focus was on ensuring
it was in the best position to respond to crime. “At times, setting up a taskforce is the smartest and most efficient way,” he said. Victoria Police had produced great results using taskforces, and 120 arrests had been made across Victoria as part of Operation Cosmas. Ms Neville said growth areas in the western suburbs would receive a share of the 300 frontline police funded in this year’s state budget. “An additional 11 day and night patrols have been allocated to the western suburbs and this additional resourcing will continue,” she said.