The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) welcome the WA Government's introduction of the Retail Barring Orders Bill 2025 (RBOs) - a significant milestone in efforts to combat repeat retail crime and strengthen safety across the sector.
The new laws will allow police and retailers to issue immediate barring orders to violent, aggressive or abusive offenders, preventing them from entering shops, shopping centres or retail precincts for up to 24 months. Around 60% of retail crime is committed by just 10% of offenders according to Auror research, highlighting the importance of targeted measures to deal with high-harm individuals.
This measure reflects long-standing advocacy from the ARA and NRA and shows the WA Government is responding to industry concerns about repeat offenders and retail safety.
ARA CEO Chris Rodwell says the Bill represents an important evolution in the State's retail crime response and builds on the tougher penalties for assaulting retail workers that passed the WA Parliament last year.
"Western Australia is taking a major stride forward today. Retail Barring Orders give police and retailers a new tool to disrupt the small cohort of repeat offenders who cause the greatest harm in our stores," he said.
"This legislation is practical, proportionate and backed by broad community support. It will go a long way in reducing repeat offending and make shops safer for workers and customers alike."
The ARA and NRA also welcome the bipartisan commitment to the reform, noting that retail crime is an issue affecting every community, every region and every demographic.
"Retail crime isn't just a business problem - it affects the entire community. Around nine in ten Australians visit a retailer at least weekly, whether in a remote town or the centre of Perth. Two-thirds of Australians either work in the sector or have a close friend or family member who does. Every Western Australian has a stake in getting this right," he said.
Mr Rodwell said the RBO legislation needs to be passed with urgency and work needs to continue to make sure retail workers are safe every day.
"Today's Bill is an essential step. It reflects the WA Government is taking leadership, which extends to its nation-leading adoption of technology to track and apprehend offenders," he said. "We're now keen to see WA resource a dedicated retail crime police taskforce, in line with what we now see in South Australia and New South Wales. The ARA and NRA are committed to working with the WA Government and police to continue to lift support of retailers and their teams."
Nationally, the ARA and NRA urge other jurisdictions to follow the leadership shown by South Australia, the ACT and now Western Australia, noting that several states have passed similar laws while others are preparing to introduce them.
