POLICE PLEDGE ON CBD MALL SAFETY:

AUTHORITIES must think innovatively to find ways to rejuvenate and revitalise Geelong’s violence-plagued mall, Police Minister Lisa Neville said yesterday.

Safety in the Little Malop St mall and at the Moorabool St bus stop was again thrown into the spotlight this week when footage of a vicious attack surfaced on social media.

A 71-year-old woman was allegedly kicked and assaulted while waiting at the bus stop just after 1pm on Tuesday.

“The mall in Geelong has been a very long-term (problem) … consistently it has had issue with and without the bus stops there,” Ms Neville said. “We need to think really differently about how to re-energise that mall to really change the nature and the culture there.”

Ms Neville said Tuesday’s incident was “cowardly and appalling”.

The alleged victim, who left the scene on a Torquay-bound bus, gave a statement to police yesterday after officers appealed for her to come forward.

Ms Neville said support was available to the woman.

“I really hope the woman … I hope she is OK,” she said. “There is support for her.”

The Bellarine MP said she had spoken to Superintendent Craig Gillard and Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton about Tuesday’s events and reassured the community there would be extra patrols in the area.

“I know police did a great job … they will continue to do extra patrols down there.”

It is expected extra police will be allocated to Geelong in coming weeks.

Ms Neville said the government was also working on legislation that would allow police to deploy strike teams of Protective Services Officers to areas such as the mall.

PSOs currently patrol train stations and from this year have been patrolling the bus stop at peak times.

Ms Neville said the officers were “good resources” who could back up and assist police in certain situations.

A government-backed draft preliminary report by private contractor Design Urban, commissioned last year, proposes changes to the controversial area, including reducing the number of services running down the busy street.

Plans for the area, which are being made in consultation with Transport for Victoria, are a priority for the City of Greater Geelong.

The council hopes to allocate money in its upcoming budget to upgrade the adjoining Little Malop St mall.

Ms Neville said the state government was committed to doing what it could to assist.

“The planning authority has some very significant thoughts and ideas on what we may do in the mall to revitalise and regenerate and to deal with some of the issues,” she said.

A 23-year-old woman has been remanded in custody over the alleged assault.

WE NEED TO THINK REALLY DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW TO RE-ENERGISE THAT MALL TO REALLY CHANGE THE NATURE AND THE CULTURE THERE. POLICE MINISTER LISA NEVILLE