23/05/2025
Another year, another blow to Victoria Police veterans.
Once again, Police Veterans Victoria (PVV) has been left bitterly disappointed.
Not a single dollar has been allocated to support our members in this year’s state budget, despite years of tireless lobbying and advocacy. This continued neglect is more than just disheartening—it’s demoralising.
We have long argued that the psychological toll of operational policing is equal to, if not greater than, that faced by defence personnel in active theatres of conflict.
Our people don’t serve tours.
They serve day after day, year after year, on the streets of our communities, walking into danger with no idea who or what awaits them. The enemy is not uniformed or confined to a battlefield. It is unpredictable, often invisible, and always close to home.
Statistically, around one in four operational police will experience some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). That trauma doesn’t end with their career—it follows them into civilian life, into their homes, into their relationships. And yet, when the uniform comes off, so too does the support.
Meanwhile, Australia rightly supports its military veterans through the federally funded Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), which has been allocated $12.8 billion in the 2024–25 federal budget. This funding delivers critical services: income support, rehabilitation, mental health care, family assistance, and more.
Victoria has further stepped up with an additional $20.2 million for Defence veterans this financial year—funding that sustains the Shrine of Remembrance, the Victorian Veterans Council, education and grant programs, and targeted wellbeing initiatives.
Yet, police veterans who served the same public, under the same flag, in roles just as confronting receive nothing.
No programs.
No recognition.
No dedicated mental health pathways or transition assistance.
Just silence.
This lack of support is more than a budget line. It sends a message: your service does not matter. That message is being heard loud and clear by the men and women who once ran toward the very dangers most would flee.
We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for fairness, dignity, and recognition. After all, support after service is not just a moral obligation—it’s also a vital part of sustaining trust in the force, attracting recruits, and preventing burnout in the next generation of officers.
If we can find billions to honour one type of service, why can’t we find even a fraction to honour another?
The time for excuses has passed. The time for action is long overdue.
David McGowan, Chief Executive Officer, PVV
https://policeveteransvic.org.au/another-year-another-blow-to-victoria-police-veterans/
If this message resonates with you, please consider sharing it to your local networks and/or member of Parliament. We need as many voices as possible.
