An Australian-first online tool has been developed to help Victorian farmers combat regional property crimes
RACV and Neighbourhood Watch Victoria have developed an online quiz to improve the security of Victorian farms and regional properties following a rise in crime.
The ‘How safe is my farm’ tool is Australian-first initiative, developed with help from Victoria Police, to help Victorian farmers identify what can be done to reduce the risk of farm crime on their property.
“‘How safe is my farm’ works by giving Victorians a tool to audit their property, find vulnerabilities that may exist and suggests prevention measures that can improve safety and security,” RACV general manager home Bill Bloodworth says.
“The free online tool asks a series of easy-to-answer questions about the farm set-up and security arrangements. The tool then presents users with a personalised report on their farm’s safety.”
According to Victorian Crime Statistics Agency, the regional areas of Latrobe, Mildura and Ararat were among the top five areas for criminal incident rates (per 100,000 estimated resident population) in the year ending 30 June 2024.
- Ararat: 9,345.7 incidents, up 25.8 per cent
- Latrobe: 11,578.8 incidents, up 9.8 per cent
- Yarra: 11,045.1 incidents, up 8.5 per cent
- Melbourne: 15,115.9 incidents, up 5.4 per cent
- Mildura 10,330.1 incidents, up 4.2 per cent.
Latrobe, Mildura and Horsham were also in the top five areas for recorded offence rates (per 100,000 estimated resident population).
- Melbourne 20,827.5 offences, up 7
per cent - Latrobe 15,979.7 offences, up 7 per cent
- Yarra 13,543.6 offences, up 4.9 per cent
- Mildura 13,883.4 offences, up 2.6 per cent
- Horsham 12,989.3 offences, down 2
per cent.
These same statistics show there were 2,380 crimes committed on Victorian farms, up from 2,125 from the previous year.
Of those crimes, 1,453 were theft, 431 were burglary and there were 343 instances of property damage.
“Farm crime be costly, disruptive and mentally exhausting to one of our hardest-working communities,” Neighbourhood Watch Victoria CEO Bambi Gordon says.
“Crime is opportunistic, and we can remove that opportunity by keeping an eye on each other, reporting crimes and suspicious behaviour when we see it and using preventative security measures.”
Farmers are urged to take proactive steps to secure their properties, such as installing proper lighting, securing gates and utilising surveillance cameras.
RACV says these simple steps can significantly deter potential criminal activity.
To use the ‘How safe is my farm’ tool and find out more, visit howsafeismyplace.com.au/farm/