Designated Areas
PSOs can exercise their powers in designated areas. Police and PSOs also have additional powers inside a designated area to search people, order people to remove face coverings, and to order people to leave the area.
“Designated areas” are places where:
- police have extra powers, and
- where PSO’s are allowed to use their powers.
Some places are always designated areas. These include:
- Train stations, bus stops, and tram stops
- Car-parks, taxi ranks, and bus stops near train stations
- Areas around train stations
- Roads and footpaths that access train stations
(PSOs also work at other places like Parliament House and the courts.)
Since 2020 designated areas now include:
- The entire Melbourne Metropolitan area;
- Municipal districts of the following council areas: Greater Geelong City Council, Ballarat City Council , Greater Bendigo City Council, La Trobe City Council, Mildura Rural City Council, Greater Shepparton City Council , Wodonga City Council, Warrnambool City Council, Rural City of Wangaratta Council.
Powers will be expanded in the near future to include:
- An area surrounding a sporting venue;
- A venue of public entertainment;
- A place of mass gathering; or
- Any large area in Victoria.
At this stage, it is not clear if the increased coverage of designated areas is short or long term.
Other places can be made a “designated area” for a limited period of time. Under the Control of Weapons Act 1990 (Vic) (“CW Act”), the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police may declare an area to be a “designated area” at short notice. The declaration should be published on the Victoria Police website.