The issue of policing levels in Lakes Entrance has yet again been raised in State Parliament with Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, putting it on notice with the new Minister today.

In an often heated question time where police resourcing was the issue, Mr Bull said this was the third Police Minister in the past six months he had raised this with.

“The reason I asked the new Police Minister is because in a 2013 media release she said to not double the numbers of police in Bellarine (her own electorate) over peak holiday times, when the population doubled, left the community exposed,” he said.

“So given these were her words and her clear view, I thought it was fair to ask that when the population of Lakes Entrance will more than double these upcoming school holidays, can she apply the same logic to my electorate that she did to her own.

“Not to mention at Christmas and Easter when the population grows tenfold.

“Unfortunately, like the previous two Ministers, her answer was that police are being provided with the resources they need.

“This is simply not right. For a start, there are increasing numbers of police coming forward in metropolitan areas saying they need more resources to tackle the violence being perpetrated by groups like the Apex Gang.

“The Minister is saying one thing and the police on the ground are saying another.

“I don’t think our ask for Lakes Entrance is a big one. The community simply wants a few extra police to assist with the increased workload that comes with holiday times and numbers that will allow the station to be open during the daytime in peak holiday times, which is not the case at present,” Mr Bull said.