Victoria police have revamped their fee structure, raising charges for event patrols to ensure taxpayers aren’t burdened by private event costs
Victoria: So, the police in Victoria are shaking things up a bit. They’re going to charge more for patrolling big events like AFL games, the Australian Open, and music festivals. This is the biggest fee change they’ve made in over ten years!
Starting January 1, they can now charge for planning these events too. Plus, the costs for using police animals, drones, and even fingerprinting services have all gone up. It’s a pretty big deal.
If you’re organizing a major community event, get ready to pay a $1,372 planning fee. For music or racing events, it’s $686. And if your event runs for more than one day, there’s an extra $343 for each additional day. Ouch!
For sports matches, marquee games will cost $686 for planning, while regular games will be $343. And if you need a police dog, that’ll set you back $39.20 an hour. A police horse? That’s $65.30. And if you want a drone, it’s $147 an hour. Crazy, right?
Oh, and if you need a helicopter, be prepared to fork out a whopping $10,217 an hour! It’s clear they’re serious about these fees.
The police say this change is all about making sure taxpayers aren’t stuck paying for private events. They want to recover their costs, and this is the first thorough review of fees in a decade.
They also mentioned that they won’t charge for emergencies that pop up unexpectedly at events. And if it’s a charity event, they might even waive or lower the fees.
During a consultation last year, some groups raised concerns that these fees could make events less viable and lead to higher ticket prices. But the department pointed out that their fees are still lower than what’s charged in New South Wales, where police have been accused of price gouging.
