Melbourne venues to receive $10M security boost to counter firebombing
Victorian hospitality businesses under siege from a string of violent attacks are set to access a new $10 million government security fund, with bar and nightclub operators able to apply for grants to upgrade physical protections at their premises.
The Hospitality Security Fund, announced by Police Minister Anthony Carbines, will help eligible venues cover the cost of security improvements including CCTV upgrades, reinforced doors, alarm systems and fire suppression technology. A further $5 million has been committed to upgrading Victoria Police's state command centre, enabling overnight monitoring of live camera feeds from participating venues.
The announcements follow more than 20 attacks on Melbourne venues — including shootings and firebombings — that have left owners and staff deeply shaken. Some operators have resorted to extraordinary DIY measures in the interim, with South Yarra venue The Emerson placing shipping containers outside its entrance as a makeshift barrier, while a rental truck was spotted outside another venue over the weekend.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting chief executive Amelia Bitsis welcomed the funding, telling the Herald Sun: "We know from the business community that about one in five are telling us that the costs of broader crime is in the vicinity of $50,000 to $100,000 for them every year. This is very difficult for businesses to withstand those sorts of additional costs."
Minister Carbines, who confirmed the spend sits outside the existing budget, framed the initiative as a direct response to calls for help from the industry, saying: "They need help and assistance, and this is a concrete measure that boosts up some of the work they're already doing themselves. We'll do as much as we can with that fund."
Venues that opt in will have the option to stream CCTV footage directly to the police command centre for real-time assessment. Victoria Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Russell Barrett said the capability would give investigators a critical edge, telling the Herald Sun: "It enables us to get ahead of the game. It's an incredible announcement for us." He added that live feeds would complement existing intelligence operations: "With other sources of intelligence that come in, we can hone our focus on particular locations, that's how we operate. It's a range of technology that we use."
Not everyone is convinced the fund goes far enough. Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin argued the measure fell short of what operators actually need.
"We're seeing a bandaid on a broken leg here in Victoria from a government that lets the crime crisis continue out of control." Battin pointed to the more than 22,000 cameras already accessible to police across Melbourne that aren't actively monitored, and said venue owners had one consistent message: "(Business owners') biggest concern at the moment is their staff ensuring they can stay alive here in Victoria and keep going. And the best way, each and every one of them has said to me, is more police on the beat so they can get a quicker response."
Applications for the fund are expected to open in the coming weeks.
Jonathan Jackson, 13th May 2026
