Police stand guard during a rally by protesters showing their support for Palestinians at Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne on Oct. 15, 2023. Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images
Taxpayers have footed a $25 million policing bill for Melbourne’s weekly Gaza protests, with almost 24,000 police shifts logged since late 2023.
Figures from the Parliamentary Budget Office show Victoria Police’s Operation Park, launched in October 2023, has clocked $10.2 million in operational expenses and $14.9 million in police salaries.
“Almost 60 percent of total expenditure relates to police officer salary costs, which are considered business-as-usual costs,” the parliamentary office said.
“These costs would have been incurred regardless of whether a major protest or demonstration occurs.”
The figures were released after a request from Liberal MP David Southwick, who asked for an independent estimate of police resources tied up in Operation Park.
Policing Costs Under Fire
Victoria Police said the estimate did not include indirect expenses such as officer backfilling or broader activities like prejudice crime investigations and community patrols.
The Opposition accused the Allan government of allowing protests to spiral.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the weekly marches “hijacked” the city and “made Melbourne a less safe and less fun place to visit.”
He vowed the Liberals would introduce a protest registration system to ensure demonstrations “don’t divert police attention from fighting crime.”
