Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams, today announced $219,000 in funding to the City of Greater Dandenong to improve community safety in the Hemmings Street Precinct of Dandenong.

The project will see a community-led infrastructure and activation project in the Hemmings Street Precinct, incorporating CCTV, improved lighting, landscaping, streetscape upgrades and community engagement events to improve safety and perceptions of safety.

The Hemmings Street Precinct initiative is one of 16 projects sharing in almost $4.4 million as part of the first round of the Creating Safer Places and Crime Prevention Innovation Fund grants through the Building Safer Communities Program, a key initiative under the Crime Prevention Strategy.

Empowering communities, businesses and key organisations to work together is the cornerstone of the new Crime Prevention Strategy recently launched by Minister Hutchins and backed by a $30 million investment.

The Strategy complements the Andrews Labor Government’s work to support health, housing and employment to set out an evidence-based approach to address the causes of offending.

For more information go to the Victorian Government’s Crime Prevention Strategy here: crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/strategy

Applications for the next round of Building Safer Communities competitive grants will open on Monday 15 November 2021 and close on Friday 11 February 2022.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Crime Prevention Natalie Hutchins

 “Communities have the knowledge, expertise and passion to reduce crime. This project is a fantastic example of how the State government can support the crime prevention projects that work for local communities”.

“Stopping crime from happening in the first place is the best way to keep Victorians safe.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams

“The Hemmings Street Precinct Project will address local needs and engage the community to feel safer and more empowered. Congratulations to the City of Greater Dandenong on their successful funding application. I look forward to seeing the project and improvements rolled out in the months ahead.”