NewsBite

HTTP/1.1 200 OKServer: nginxContent-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8X-Powered-By: WordPress VIP Host-Header: a9130478a60e5f9135f765b23f26593bX-Content-Type-Options: nosniffX-XSS-Protection: 1x-rq: syd2 123 243 443Cache-Control: must-revalidate, max-age=300Expires: Sun, 08 Sep 2024 20:57:19 GMTDate: Sun, 08 Sep 2024 20:52:19 GMTTransfer-Encoding:  chunkedConnection: keep-aliveConnection: Transfer-EncodingSet-Cookie: nk=d4fd537ff29480321d64cc0d8815e26d; expires=Mon, 08-Sep-2025 20:52:19 GMT; domain=.weeklytimesnow.com.au; secure; SameSite=NoneStrict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000 ; includeSubDomainsContent-Security-Policy-Report-Only: frame-ancestors 'self'; report-uri https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/csp-reportsContent-Security-Policy: block-all-mixed-content; style-src https: 'unsafe-inline'; script-src https: blob: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval'; img-src https: data:; frame-src https:;BlaizeHappened: trueX-ARRRG5: /blaize/decision-engine?path=https%3a%2f%2fwww.weeklytimesnow.com.au%2fweb-stories%2ffree%2fthe-weekly-times%2fvictoria-australias-worst-state-for-livestock-theft%3fnk%3dd4fd537ff29480321d64cc0d8815e26d-1711775422&blaizehost=v4-news-au-weeklytimesnow.cdn.zephr.com&content_id=&session=d4fd537ff29480321d64cc0d8815e26dX-ARRRG4: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/X-PathQS: TRUEVary: User-Agent
Words: Camille Smith, Tallis Miles and Alex Sinnott 
Victoria is Australia’s worst state for livestock theft
A special investigation into livestock theft has pinpointed where brazen repeat offenders are targeting farmers.  
A huge spike in livestock theft by value and stagnant offence rates have revealed Victoria is lagging behind other states in  cracking down on farm crime.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency figures show there were 236 livestock thefts reported statewide in the 12 months to March, down 16.3 per cent year-on-year.
Victoria Police Farm Crime Coordination Unit acting inspector Gary Wilson said the decrease was “incredibly positive”, but the skyrocketing $2.62m worth of stolen stock tells a different story. It tops the previous year by more than $500,000.
The Victorian Farmers Federation estimates the true cost could be more than $30 million, with the loss of wool, milk and future breeding potential taken into account.
Offence rates in other states have fallen consistently, with NSW down 18.9 per cent on last year, and a five-year average annual decrease of 8.9 per cent.
South Australia stock thefts are down more than 18 per cent, with an average annual decrease of 14 per cent over three years.
In Victoria, offence rates haven’t changed compared to five years ago, when 232 stock thefts were reported. Victoria’s five-year annual average is an increase of 7 per cent.
VFF livestock group president Steven Harrison said the lack of progress was a “disgrace” and called on all sides of government to be more proactive on the issue.
Of Victoria’s 236 reported stock thefts in the 12 months to March, 201 remained unsolved and just one arrest was made. Mr Harrison said the arrest record – the state’s lowest in a decade – was “extremely frustrating”.
The farming peak body is advocating for a new dedicated police unit with extensive rural experience, similar to major stock squads in NSW and Queensland.
Producer: Simone Kealy																											

Original URL: https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/web-stories/free/the-weekly-times/victoria-australias-worst-state-for-livestock-theft