Mildura has landed something that could make a real difference across our region , and that’s Victoria’s first regional police training academy pilot.
The new training centre is expected to open in Mildura in January 2027, with Victoria Police confirming the plan during recent budget hearings. The idea is to train police recruits here in the regions, rather than expecting every new recruit to pack up and head to the main academy at Glen Waverley in Melbourne.
For a place like Mildura, this is more than just another government announcement. It could be a practical step toward fixing one of the biggest problems country communities face in getting enough police on the ground and keeping them here.
Victoria Police says the Mildura pilot will train around 100 recruits a year, with two courses running annually for 25 weeks each. That means more people coming into town, more families connected to the area, and hopefully more officers who understand what regional policing actually looks like.
Policing in Mildura, Robinvale, Ouyen, Red Cliffs, Merbein, Wentworth and the wider Mallee is not the same as policing in the suburbs of Melbourne. Distances are bigger, backup can be further away, and officers often deal with everything from family violence and road trauma to youth issues, drugs, mental health callouts and community safety concerns and sometimes all in the same shift.
Having recruits train in Mildura gives them a better look at that reality from day one. It also removes one of the big hurdles for locals who might have thought about joining Victoria Police but couldn’t make the move to Melbourne work. Not everyone can just leave family, kids, work commitments or community responsibilities behind for months at a time. Victoria Police has said the Glen Waverley location has been a barrier for some regional applicants.
Training locally gives more people from our part of the world a chance to have a crack. There is also a flow-on benefit for Mildura’s economy. Recruits, instructors, visiting police staff, family members and support services all mean more people using local accommodation, cafes, supermarkets, gyms, restaurants, petrol stations and other businesses. It might not be a silver bullet, but it is another reason for people to spend time and money in town.
The bigger hope though, is that some of these recruits will stay. If people train here, build friendships here, get to know the place and see what the lifestyle offers, there is every chance more of them will want to work here or in nearby towns.
That could help smaller communities as well. Places across the Southern Mallee and north-west Victoria have long felt the pressure when police numbers are stretched. A stronger regional training pathway could mean more officers who are willing to serve in country areas because they already understand them.
Victoria Police is also holding regional career information sessions, including one in Mildura at the Alfred Deakin Centre on Monday, 15 June 2026, for people interested in policing. So this is not just talk about future recruits, it is already being tied into getting more regional people interested in the job.
Of course, the academy won’t fix every issue overnight. Police shortages, crime, youth offending, drug problems and community safety are complicated, and they take more than one program to sort out.
But this is a positive move. For once, the answer is not simply “send people to Melbourne and hope they come back.” This puts the opportunity right here in Mildura. It recognises that regional Victoria needs regional solutions, and that country policing needs people who understand country communities.
If Mildura can become the starting point for that change, then it is something worth backing.
Because more local training could mean more local recruits, more local jobs, more spending in town, and hopefully more police on the ground where they are needed most.
For Mildura and the wider Mallee, that is a win.