Federal government commits more than $40m to bolster security at Services Australia

Guards will be stationed at offices and aggressive customers will face tougher penalties under a massive security boost prompted by a horror stabbing of a worker.

Centrelink team leader Joeanne Cassar, who was stabbed at her workplace in Airport West, with Government Services Minister Bill Shorten. Picture: David Crosling

In the biggest change to Centrelink security in years, two trained guards will be stationed at offices deemed high-risk.

Tough penalties will also be introduced for acts of violence and aggression toward Commonwealth public servants.

The measures are part of a massive security overhaul at hundreds of Centrelink offices triggered by the horrific stabbing of Melbourne worker Joeanne Cassar, who was left with lifelong injuries.

The layouts of offices will also be revamped to better protect workers.

Police at the Airport West where worker Joeanne Cassar was stabbed. Picture: 9 News

Laws will be changed so that when Centrelink staff report feeling under threat, the agency will be required to take out intervention orders on their behalf to ensure perpetrators are kept away.

The $40m overhaul comes as Centrelink’s workforce is facing aggressive incidents – including physical attacks – 24 times a day.

The federal government will on Friday commit to implementing 44 recommendations from a review in the wake of the brutal attack on Ms Cassar.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said: “The incident at Airport West was a terrible crime, committed against a well-respected, well- loved and experienced public servant. Public servants do an important and difficult job for their community, and they should feel confident that they can turn up to work and not face abhorrent violence.”

Ms Cassar has been left with lifelong injuries from the attack. Picture: David Crosling

Ms Cassar, who narrowly escaped death when she was stabbed in the lower back several times at a centre in Airport West, welcomed the changes.

It is alleged Essendon man Elijah Chase wielded the knife after previously being banned from the location, with his case still before the courts.

Former Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton, who led the review of Services Australia centres, said Centrelink staff needed greater protection.

Services Australia has been working to identify which centres would need permanent security guards, he said, adding a wider rollout of de-escalation training was also required.

Mr Ashton also raised the difficulty of dealing with newly released prisoners, who needed support payments after leaving jail but could become high-risk customers when they ran into issues with not having basic identification.

The new measures will provide added protection for more than 6000 staff including face-to-face workers across 318 Services Australia centres nationwide.

The number of security guards stationed at Centrelink offices will rise from 278 to 513.

Ms Cassar welcomed a boost in the number of security guards, saying Airport West only had one security guard on Mondays and Tuesdays – when the attack occurred.

Mr Chase, who has been charged with intent to cause serious injury, is on remand awaiting a mental health assessment. A committal mention is due later this month.

Stabbing victim: ‘It has changed me forever’

Centrelink team leader Joeanne Cassar says she will never recover from her injuries.

Breaking her silence for the first time since the stabbing at the Airport West Centrelink office in June, Ms Cassar has revealed she suffers crippling pain after a nerve in her back was severed, reducing the use of her left leg.

Ms Cassar will never recover from her injuries.. Picture: David Crosling

The 56-year-old grandmother, who had dreams of exploring the pyramids in Egypt in retirement, can no longer drive, climb stairs or cross her legs.

“It has changed me forever,” she said.

“I went to work one day and didn’t come home for eight days. I can’t even pour the kettle when the kettle is full … because of the strain that it imposes on my back and my legs.

“It’s a lifelong injury.”

Ms Cassar had dreams of exploring the pyramids in Egypt in retirement. Picture: Facebook

Ms Cassar, who considers herself lucky to have survived, says she is trying to remain positive as she and her husband Andrew Giusti adjust to their new life – where they now look for disabled parking spots.

The team leader said she hoped the government’s changes would make staff, who were yet to return to their normal positions following the attack, feel protected in the workplace.

She said customer aggression at the Airport West centre had soared over the past three years, with security guards being “punched and kicked”.

“We have a lot of prison releases that come into the office at 4pm and the … expectation is that we just flick a switch and put their payments back in place or give them a payment immediately,” Ms Cassar said, adding they could be quite aggressive.

She said she hoped the changes would enable staff, who had not yet returned to normal duties after the attack, feel safer at work.

“If the incident that happened is … going to have any positive outcomes, then a change for all Commonwealth employees, a safer environment for all Commonwealth employees is what we’re after,” she told the Herald Sun.