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Champion for prostate cancer research Allan Cunningham died recently. The co-founder of the Latrobe Valley Prostate Cancer Support Group was pivotal in delivering countless initiatives and support avenues to locals living iv with the disease. e Tribute - p page 31 THEY DON‘T MAKE THEM
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Crime debate deferred By AIDAN KNIGHT
LATROBE City Council has once again circled the block on the question of how best to tackle antisocial behaviour in Morwell’s central business district, this time debating a new iteration of the Community Connectors Program under the banner of the CBD Community Outreach program. The issue, first raised in the February meeting, has now been deferred twice, with councillors split between immediate investment in outreach and waiting on assurances from the state government. The program, described by Councillor Steph Morgan as a “bespoke tailored outline for our community,” would allocate $30,000 from Council reserves to design a localised outreach model. Officers propose placing trained workers at hotspots such as the Morwell Transit Hub to connect people with housing, health and social services, addressing the root causes of poor behaviour rather than relying solely on policing. The model is based on programs trialed successfully in Frankston and Dandenong, where outreach reduced antisocial behaviour and improved perceptions of safety. Council officers argued the same could help Morwell, which has seen a 15 per cent rise in crimes against the person and property offences, and a 38 per cent increase in drug-related offences since 2019-20. May's meeting saw the pushing back of the Connectors Program, with Cr Sharon Gibson the most vocal that policing is the best option, deferring the then proposed $50,000 (also pushed by Cr Morgan) to resource research for the program. Cr Gibson herself had met with the Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines, with Mayor Dale Harriman and Latrobe City chief executive Steve Piasante. During last week's meeting, Council remained divided on the issue, as Cr Morgan emphasised, “We can’t attack this problem just through policing alone, we need a communityminded approach to really address a multifaceted issue. There is no one answer.” Cr Morgan said Council risked alienating residents and businesses who already felt “ignored” by repeated delays, warning Morwell could be left a “ghost town” if inaction continued. Cr Pugsley raised the point at the September meeting, on the outcome of the talks with the minister, to which Mr Piasante clarified that no promise was made. While the minister had indicated he was keen to visit Latrobe City for assessment, alongside the Police Commissioner, the recent events surrounding the manhunt in Porpunkah prevented discussion from going any further in that time. There was no exact date or definite confirmation they would indeed visit, meaning there is no promise Latrobe City Council can call on the government to uphold, and no ballpark of when and if it will come to fruition. "These things can take a number of months," Mr Piasante stated when pressed for a timeframe for usual circumstances. The CEO also admitted that external organisations such as Anglicare also had not replied to Council on the matter. There had been anecdotal observations in the CBD that the behaviour in question had been quieter in the winter months, although Council admitted the happenings seem to have just shifted from outside to inside, such as Morwell Library. In fact, data released Thursday from the Crime Statistics Agency shows criminal incidents in Latrobe rose by 10.3 per cent in the 12 months to June 2025 compared with the previous year. Moe recorded the sharpest increase, with offences climbing 26 per cent, following the Allan Labor Government’s decision to cut back operating hours at the town’s police station. Continued page 5