By ABC News

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A report has found weekly pro-Palestine rallies in Melbourne’s CBD and other operational activities related to the Gaza-Israel war have so far cost Victoria Police an estimated $25 million.

The report by Victoria’s Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) covered estimated costs related to Operation Park, which was established after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel in 2023 to oversee operational activities related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, with a focus on protests and demonstrations.

The report looked at police salaries and other costs until August 2025.

It found 23,928 shifts had been dedicated to Operation Park.

The wages associated with those shifts, along with other operating expenses, were estimated to have reached $25.2 million, as at August 18.

The report noted that almost 60 per cent of the cost related to wages, which would have been incurred regardless of whether a protest was held.

But it said the bill does not include indirect expenditure such as backfilling shifts at stations to cover officers deployed to the protests.

“Victoria Police advised us that they could not provide indirectly related expenditure … due to the complexity and constraints of their systems,” the PBO report stated.

“Furthermore, the costs we outline in this advice do not capture costs related to broader Operation Park activities, such as investigations of prejudice‑related crimes, community assurance patrols, and engagement with stakeholders.”

The report was requested by opposition MP David Southwick, who is the shadow police minister and represents the seat of Caulfield, which includes a large Jewish population.

He said the costs equated to $1 million each month.

“That figure doesn’t include the loss of business trade, the loss of tourism and even the cleaning costs of these protests,” Mr Southwick said.

“Victoria’s gone from the most livable city that Melbourne was to now the protest state.”

Mr Southwick called on the state government to toughen protest laws, including introducing a permit system that exists in other states.

“Police get pulled from police stations across Victoria to deal with protests in Melbourne and that compromises safety for all of us.

“We just have to ensure that we’ve got a better way forward with all of this.”

The state opposition introduced a permit bill to the Victorian parliament in August but it was voted down.

In a statement, Victoria Police said Operation Park also involved patrolling synagogues, Jewish schools and community hubs.

“Since Operation Park was established, Victoria Police has made 257 arrests,” a spokesperson said.

“There have been 429 reports relating to antisemitism made in this time.”

The spokesperson said responding to protests was part of routine police work, but unplanned demonstrations were frustrating officers and causing disruption in the community.

“With proper engagement, we’re able to resource protests more efficiently and work with protest organisers so they conduct a safe event with minimal disruption to the broader community,” they said.

“It also means we can divert valuable police resources to where they’re needed most, like detecting and deterring crime.”

In August, the City of Melbourne voted to consult on a plan that would urge the Victorian and federal governments to review the disruptions being caused by protests in the CBD.

That plan included the possibility of introducing permits.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has previously told the ABC he does not support a permit system.