The state government says it is introducing some of the toughest laws in Australia to stop thuggery and bad behaviour as part of a crackdown on organised crime and bikie gangs.
Under the Criminal Organisations Control Amendment Bill 2024 introduced into Parliament on August 28, new and improved laws will strengthen Victoria’s unlawful association scheme, introduce a new serious crime prevention order and prohibit the public display of gang colours, the government said.
As part of the changes members of specified organised crime groups will be banned from entering state government worksites – ensuring these sites are free from the influence of outlaw gangs and criminal groups.
This will complement work being performed by the federal government to stamp out rotten culture that has been exposed in the construction industry.
The strengthened unlawful association scheme will give Victoria Police more power to stop criminals associating with each other and to discourage other people from joining them in a criminal network.
The threshold for issuing unlawful association notices will be lowered to allow police to issue them more easily and in a wider range of circumstances, with up to three years of prison for an order breach.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission will have new responsibilities to monitor, oversee and report on the operation of the scheme.
A new Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) scheme will also come into effect – allowing the chief commissioner of police to apply to a court to impose a broad range of conditions on someone who has participated in serious criminal activity or is likely to help another person who is engaging in serious criminal behaviour.
The SCPO scheme has been designed to restrict the activities of organised crime group leaders – an SCPO might include prohibiting that person from leaving Victoria or possessing firearms or certain amounts of cash.
Outlaw motorcycle gang members wear and display their colours, such as patches, logos or other insignia to represent their gang membership, intimidate others and to attract and recruit new members. The bill will ban the public display of the insignia of certain criminal groups, including wearing it on clothing or jewellery and displaying it on signs, flags or vehicles.
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said organised crime and thuggish behaviour has no place in Victoria.
