Melbourne is consistently regarded as the city that offers the highest quality of life across the globe. Nevertheless, as is the case in the majority of large cities, there is the possibility of danger, particularly at night. The following are a few safety tips.
In the Public Square
- Avoid going out at night in places like parks, alleys, and locations with low lighting.
- When it's not possible, try to travel with a friend.
- Be sure to double-check your directions before setting out.
When crossing roads, exercise caution: look to both the right and the left before stepping off the kerb, and cross at pedestrian crossings or with the assistance of traffic signals whenever possible.
- It is not a good idea to ride in a vehicle with strangers.
- It is not a good idea to ride in a car with someone who has been drinking.
- Wear clothing with bright colours if you stroll or ride a bike at night so that motorists may easily spot you.
- It is not necessary for you to obtain permission before speaking to a police officer or entering a police headquarters at any time.
Using the Public Transport System
- Under no circumstances should you cross a railway crossing while its lights are flashing or while its barriers are lowered. Always make sure that you are seated in the first car of the tram, train, or bus so that you are near to the driver.
Within A Public Context
- When inputting a personal identification number (PIN) at an automated teller machine (ATM), make sure your hand is covered, and avoid disclosing your phone number or any other confidential material unless it is absolutely necessary.
- Never carry more than one hundred dollars with you; it is advisable to buy your drinks, especially when you are in a bar or a pub.
- Simply dialling 000 from whatever phone in the world, regardless of the time of day or night, will immediately connect you to the nearest emergency services, free of charge.
Emergency Services
All of Melbourne's citizens have access to emergency services. The people who provide these services have received extensive education and training. In the event of an urgent situation, dial "000" for assistance with fire, police or ambulance.
Every single mobile phone, even the ones that don't have credit, can make this call at no cost. When you dial one of these numbers, an operator will help you out until emergency personnel can arrive.
In addition, you can speak to someone who understands your language by requesting a translator from the operator.
Less than two per cent of responses mentioned that the harassed party received a reaction from the victim. However, they put in place several measures meant to lessen the impact of a repeat occurrence. Given the seemingly intractable nature of sexual harassment in society, one typical response is for women to assume responsibility for their safety. Strategy elements included:
- Never go back there again. This, of course, has far-reaching implications for the viability of local enterprises.
- Being hyper-aware of one's surroundings was implied in all the comments and explicit in at least one-quarter of them.
- When they are alone, they should avoid going to a site. This reaction was tagged by 45 per cent of all Sydney city pins, which increased to 49 per cent for those commuting at night but remained pretty consistent for those out for recreation (44 per cent).
- Women took alternate routes, exited at different stops, and changed their method of transportation to avoid specific locations:
Several of those polled reported they avoided the city at night due to fears of harassment. This result is in line with other studies showing the significant negative effects that harassment can have on young women's willingness to use public spaces. 31 As a result of harassment, a few women have left their jobs or relocated.
Making Melbourne’s Streets Safer For Women
After a string of recent attacks against women, the mayor of Melbourne has put out a public call for ideas on how to make the city safer using crowdsourcing. To ensure the safety of Melbourne's daily influx of 920,000 visitors and residents, the city has launched a competition encouraging the public to offer forward innovative, locally developed technological solutions.
A 21-year-old Melbourne resident, was fatally attacked in a public place while on her way home, and this news comes just weeks after her death.
The council is hopeful that the project will contribute to reducing the violence that has resulted in a spate of recent killings of women all over Australia; 57% of homicides committed by strangers take place in a public place like a roadway or an open park.
For the second year in a row, the Open Innovation Challenge has sought to find answers to community problems by soliciting ideas from innovators, entrepreneurs, and members of the general public.
Unveiled last week, the central subject of safe mobility will concentrate on four main areas: public places, transportation, nighttime safety, and safety around city disruptions. The City of Melbourne Councillor chaired the city's Knowledge City portfolio and stated that the project aims to reduce anti-social behaviour in public areas.
Representatives from Shebah, Australia's first all-female rideshare service, presented at a panel discussion last week as one of several projects used to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to come up with solutions to preventing violence against women in public settings.
On International Women's Day 2017, the service was made available in most of Australia's major cities, such as Melbourne, Bendigo Ballarat, , Geelong, Brisbanet, Canberra, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast, and Perth, Hobart, Sydney, and Gold Coast. Runs It's made to ensure everyone's freedom and security on the road.
In the wake of last year's successful Open Innovation on Accessibility campaign, in which an app that combined the City of Melbourne's Open Data with smart assistants to provide up-to-date information via voice, text, and screen readers won a $20,000 grand price, the Council is issuing a new challenge with similar goals.
The City of Melbourne has put together a guide for local governments outlining how open innovation can help them enhance and create new public services, initiatives, and policies.
Recommendations
Women of all ages, including teenagers, were encouraged to talk about the places in public where they feel the least safe, the most comfortable, and the most at ease. It gave them the confidence to speak up about potentially harmful situations and highlight where improvement is necessary.
The study's findings imply that a more nuanced approach to planning and developing venues, policies, and projects are needed to increase Sydney's nighttime safety.
There is a need for reform at all government and business levels since this study shows that women's nighttime city experiences are likely not effectively factored into decisions that affect the urban environment. Harassment on the street has links to domestic violence, sexual assault, and other types of violence against women.
The actions proposed here should be seen as supplementary to and supportive of broader initiatives to combat gender-based violence, such as campaigns to alter community attitudes about violence and promote respectful and ethical relationships through education.
For instance, it has been shown that gender-sensitive design techniques and tactics can make public areas safer for people of all genders.
Cultural Change
The root of the problem is in men's attitudes towards women and other marginalised groups. Still, some practical interventions can be made to build and manage public spaces, create safe venues, and enhance reaction and reporting.
We must step up our efforts to alter a society where men consider sexual assault and harassment acceptable behaviour.
Even if all of the below interventions were to be put into place, the problem would still exist because nothing would have changed in terms of gender norms and power relations in society or culture.
Women's Voices
Many of the problems highlighted in this study are linked to the persistent absence of women's voices in the decision-making processes surrounding the design and maintenance of public spaces.
As a result, women, especially young women, are underrepresented in discussions about how our city should develop.
We need to improve girls', young women's, and women's access to political representation and decision-making power.
To combat this, local and state governments should establish policy with young women and specialists in gender-based safety/city planning, using a "gender lens."
Such regulations would cover things like the City of Sydney's recently considered draught planning limits for late-night trading or any future evaluations of the lockout laws. This method of discussing with employees might also be useful for businesses.
This could mean, for instance, consulting with female workers before making any major changes to things like working hours, physical location, or office style and accessibility.
Specific Recommendations
Women NSW and the New South Wales Department of the Premier and Cabinet • Fund public education initiatives aiming at cultural change, particularly in the areas of:
- Bystander tactics.
- What sexual harassment is and its harmful, lingering impacts on women.
Create a more complex system to promote the reporting of "small" and "major" incidents alike. It may be mistaken for a mobile adaptation of the Free to Be software.
In addition, campaigns encouraging women and anyone affected by harassment to report, as well as training for police who would respond to such claims, would be necessary for light of the present low reporting rates.
Local Government
Use information gathered from women (through improved online reporting methods or advisory groups) to pinpoint trouble spots. Keeping these things in mind is important when building public areas.
Focusing on high-crime locations, check to see if adequate lighting and other design elements are in place to keep people secure 24 hours a day.
Involve women and girls in procuring items like new street furniture to help explain how such products might increase safety and report precisely these needs using technologies like phone charging or emergency call buttons.
NSW Department of Planning and Environment
Create principles for public space design that prioritise safety. For example, studies should inform this on gender-responsive design as well as initiatives like the Queensland Government's Crime Prevention via Environmental Design recommendations.
Transport For NSW
Assess whether or not the lighting and other design elements that add to safety surrounding public transportation hubs are adequate. Not only the actual stations or stops but also the surrounding surroundings need to be taken into account.
Once trouble spots are located, a "Black Spot" programme can be funded to fix the worst problems immediately.
If possible, more nighttime services, stations, platforms, and waiting areas should be made available in the city to accommodate commuters and alleviate the burden of long wait periods.
Evaluate the effect that hoardings, street closures, and other construction impacts have on women's safety due to decreased lighting, surveillance, and visibility in light of the extensive construction in the city and its effect on the public domain.
You can lessen the effect by allocating funds to design elements that improve lighting and visibility.
Major Employers
You should conduct a poll with your team, particularly the junior female team members, on their experiences commuting to and from work based on the understanding that happy and safe employees are essential to the success of an organisation.
Use this material to collaborate with staff members on creating "safe travel to work" initiatives.
Utilise this information to advocate the government for funding well-designed, well-staffed transport options for staff so they can feel safe travelling to and from work.
In addition, this information should be used wherever there are potentially dangerous hotspots or areas with repeated negative experiences.
The Male Champions of Change should advocate for this programme within the company to the various Human Resources departments as an important step in enhancing staff welfare.
Night-Time Business And Industry
Staff members should be taught to spot instances of sexual harassment, to be upstanding bystanders, and to respond effectively to accusations of such behaviour. This may involve expanding the reach of existing initiatives like "Ask for Angela" to additional Sydney neighbourhoods.
Tips For Women Travelling To Melbourne
Getting Around
There is no train service between Melbourne's airport and the central business district (CBD), although buses and taxis are readily available. However, after you've gotten your bearings, using the city's trains, trams, and buses to get where you need to go is a breeze.
You can buy a transport card (a Myki), load money onto it, and tap on and off, with money being deducted as you go, just as in other major cities like London or Tokyo. In addition, Melbourne's central business district (CBD) includes a "Free Tram Zone," where riders can ride the tram system for free.
Where To Stay
While Melbourne is a relatively safe place to live (especially for women, who enjoy greater equality with men here than in many other parts of the world), it is not immune to crime. You're a first-time tourist, and you've decided that a hotel in the Central Business District (CBD) is the best place to stay.
If that's the case, you may expect to find a larger police presence, brightly lighted streets, and a constant presence of people. Welcome back if you've been here before!
If you're tired of the same old tourist traps, consider a place to stay in Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy, or Richmond, which are a short distance from the city centre.
In addition, Melbourne is where people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs may feel comfortable and accepted. There is something for everyone, so it doesn't matter where you stay.
Be Smart Around Animals.
Some of the world's deadliest animals call this place home. The Central Business District (CBD) is generally safe; however, if you plan on taking a day excursion or venturing into the countryside, you should be aware of the following safety precautions regarding spiders and snakes.
- Some snakes and spiders prefer to take refuge beneath rocks, shrub areas, holes in trees, and fallen tree limbs, so please avoid touching them.
- Snakes love the tall grass and bushes that tend to grow around water features as concealment. Be very cautious when temperatures rise.
- Snakes are only likely to strike if they feel threatened, so if you encounter one (the Eastern Brown is a common, venomous breed that prefers dry environments), you should give it plenty of space and make sure your evacuation route doesn't corner it.
- While not every snake or spider is poisonous, treating them as though they are is best and taking the necessary precautions.
Warnings & Dangers In Melbourne
Overall Risk: Low
When crimes committed against visitors are taken into account, Melbourne has a stellar reputation for visitor safety. With an average score of 80%, visitors can feel safe exploring the area independently.
Transport & Taxis Risk Medium
While Melbourne's public transportation system is largely secure, some riders may feel unsafe in the city's outlying stations. Tourists are advised to avoid leaving locations monitored by surveillance cameras.
Pickpockets Risk Medium
Pickpocketing is rampant in the Flinders Street station, making it one of the most dangerous places in the city. Pickpocketing is most common around the holidays, the Melbourne Cup, and the AFL Grand Final.
Natural Disasters Risk Medium
In the summer, the sun's harmful rays are more strong due to the higher UV index. During the wet season, floods are conceivable but uncommon. Melbourne is vulnerable to natural disasters. However, these often don't cause much distress.
Mugging Risk Low
Melbourne is a very secure city. Thus the danger of being mugged is low. However, there are still places where muggings occur, especially at night.
Terrorism Risk Low
Threats from terrorist organisations are uncommon in Melbourne, and many people consider it one of the safest major cities in the world regarding the threat of terrorism.
Scams Risk Low
Scams frequently happen in Melbourne include being overcharged by bartenders, taxi drivers, and people who offer to help with your luggage but then run off with it.
Women Travellers Risk Low
More broadly, Melbourne and Australia are safe destinations for female tourists. However, women should avoid taking late-night strolls around Melbourne's streets.
So... How Safe Is Melbourne Really?
It is generally safe to travel about Melbourne and the rest of Australia. An 80 per cent safety rating indicates that visitors should feel secure exploring the city.
However, in Melbourne, violence and criminal activity are problems, just as in any other large, populated metropolis.
Criminals do not usually target tourists in the city's more dangerous neighbourhoods, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't avoid them. Criminal activity is common around Bourke Street, Flinders Street Station, and Gray Street because it attracts people of various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Travellers in the busy streets of Melbourne should always be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour, keep their belongings close at hand, and have their wits about them.
They should avoid notoriously unsafe areas of the city at night and instead stick to well-lit, heavily-trafficked thoroughfares.
However, Australia is ranked as the world's tenth safest country, and visitors to Melbourne need not worry, as the city is significantly safer than many other major global centres.
Conclusion
Large cities, especially at night, can present a more hazardous environment than smaller towns. Before you leave, you ought to make it a point to check and recheck the directions. Always make it a point to get a seat in the front car, whether you're riding the tram, the train, or the bus.
For immediate assistance with the fire department, police, or ambulance, dial 000. They implemented a number of preventative safeguards with the goal of minimising the damage caused by a recurrence of the incident.
In order to avoid certain areas, women travelled by different routes, exited at a different set of stops, and utilised different modes of transportation. The topic of safe mobility will centre on public spaces, modes of transportation, the safety of the evening hours, and the safety of navigating city disruptions. The project intends to lessen the prevalence of anti-social behaviour in public places.
Shebah, Australia's first rideshare service run entirely by women, gave a presentation at a panel discussion the week before last. The attitudes that men have towards women and members of other underrepresented groups are at the heart of the issue.
It is imperative that we increase our efforts to transform a culture in which some men view sexual assault as acceptable behaviour. It is possible to put into practise a number of different interventions in order to construct and manage public spaces, develop safe venues, and improve reaction and reporting.
The New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment ought to formulate guidelines for the layout of public areas that put an emphasis on people's well-being. It is possible to provide funding for a programme called "Black Spot," which will immediately address the most serious issues.
It would be beneficial for Sydney to have an increased number of nighttime services, stations, platforms, and waiting areas.
Even though Melbourne is a relatively secure city to live in, the city is not completely free of criminal activity. There is no train service between the airport and the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne. However, the CBD is home to a "Free Tram Zone," in which passengers can travel for free on the city's tram system.
The city of Melbourne has a brilliant track record when it comes to the protection of tourists. One of the most hazardous areas in the city is the Flinders Street station due to the high incidence of pickpocketing that can be found there.
Because of the higher UV index that occurs during the dry summer months, the sun's potentially dangerous rays are stronger. The city of Melbourne has an overall safety rating of 80%. Problems with violent crime and illegal activity are present, just as they are in every other major city.
Late-night strolls through the streets of Melbourne are not something that should be done by female tourists. The United Nations ranks Australia as the tenth safest country in the world. The city is much safer than a significant number of other major global centres.
Content Summary
- Simply dialling 000 from whatever phone in the world, regardless of the time of day or night, will immediately connect you to the nearest emergency services, free of charge.
- All of Melbourne's citizens have access to emergency services.
- Less than two per cent of responses mentioned that the harassed party received a reaction from the victim.
- Given the seemingly intractable nature of sexual harassment in society, one typical response is for women to assume responsibility for their safety.
- After a string of recent attacks against women, the mayor of Melbourne has put out a public call for ideas on how to make the city safer using crowdsourcing.
- To ensure the safety of Melbourne's daily influx of 920,000 visitors and residents, the city has launched a competition encouraging the public to offer forward innovative, locally developed technological solutions.
- A 21-year-old Melbourne resident, was fatally attacked in a public place while on her way home, and this news comes just weeks after her death.
- For the second year in a row, the Open Innovation Challenge has sought to find answers to community problems by soliciting ideas from innovators, entrepreneurs, and members of the general public.
- Unveiled last week, the central subject of safe mobility will concentrate on four main areas: public places, transportation, nighttime safety, and safety around city disruptions.
- The City of Melbourne Councillor chaired the city's Knowledge City portfolio and stated that the project aims to reduce anti-social behaviour in public areas.
- Representatives from Shebah, Australia's first all-female rideshare service, presented at a panel discussion last week as one of several projects used to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to come up with solutions to preventing violence against women in public settings.
- The City of Melbourne has put together a guide for local governments outlining how open innovation can help them enhance and create new public services, initiatives, and policies.
- The study's findings imply that a more nuanced approach to planning and developing venues, policies, and projects are needed to increase Sydney's nighttime safety.
- There is a need for reform at all government and business levels since this study shows that women's nighttime city experiences are likely not effectively factored into decisions that affect the urban environment.
- Harassment on the street has links to domestic violence, sexual assault, and other types of violence against women.
- The root of the problem is in men's attitudes towards women and other marginalised groups.
- Still, some practical interventions can be made to build and manage public spaces, create safe venues, and enhance reaction and reporting.
- We must step up our efforts to alter a society where men consider sexual assault and harassment acceptable behaviour.
- Many of the problems highlighted in this study are linked to the persistent absence of women's voices in the decision-making processes surrounding the design and maintenance of public spaces.
- We need to improve girls', young women's, and women's access to political representation and decision-making power.
- Focusing on high-crime locations, check to see if adequate lighting and other design elements are in place to keep people secure 24 hours a day.
- Create principles for public space design that prioritise safety.
- Assess whether or not the lighting and other design elements that add to safety surrounding public transportation hubs are adequate.
- Evaluate the effect that hoardings, street closures, and other construction impacts have on women's safety due to decreased lighting, surveillance, and visibility in light of the extensive construction in the city and its effect on the public domain.
- Use this material to collaborate with staff members on creating "safe travel to work" initiatives.
- Utilise this information to advocate the government for funding well-designed, well-staffed transport options for staff so they can feel safe travelling to and from work.
- However, after you've gotten your bearings, using the city's trains, trams, and buses to get where you need to go is a breeze.
- You're a first-time tourist, and you've decided that a hotel in the Central Business District (CBD) is the best place to stay.
- The Central Business District (CBD) is generally safe; however, if you plan on taking a day excursion or venturing into the countryside, you should be aware of the following safety precautions regarding spiders and snakes.
- Overall Risk: LowWhen crimes committed against visitors are taken into account, Melbourne has a stellar reputation for visitor safety.
- Pickpocketing is rampant in the Flinders Street station, making it one of the most dangerous places in the city.
- Melbourne is vulnerable to natural disasters.
- Melbourne is a very secure city.
- The danger of being mugged is low.
- Threats from terrorist organisations are uncommon in Melbourne, and many people consider it one of the safest major cities in the world regarding the threat of terrorism.
- More broadly, Melbourne and Australia are safe destinations for female tourists.
- However, women should avoid taking late-night strolls around Melbourne's streets.
- So. It is generally safe to travel about Melbourne and the rest of Australia.
- An 80 per cent safety rating indicates that visitors should feel secure exploring the city.
- However, in Melbourne, violence and criminal activity are problems, just as in any other large, populated metropolis.
- Criminals do not usually target tourists in the city's more dangerous neighbourhoods, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't avoid them.
- Travellers in the busy streets of Melbourne should always be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour, keep their belongings close at hand, and have their wits about them.
- Australia is ranked as the world's tenth safest country, and visitors to Melbourne need not worry, as the city is significantly safer than many other major global centres.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Safe Cities Index 2019 ranked Melbourne among the top 10 safest cities in the world. Results were based on criteria that included crime rates, road safety, digital security, and quality of healthcare. In 2020, Melbourne continued to rank high in safety compared to other major cities.
Ninety per cent of Australia's population lives in urban areas, the second highest level globally, second only to Argentina. Melbourne ranks among the safest cities in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Melbourne highly for infrastructure safety, minimising road and rail accidents.
As is the case in any metropolis, there are no assurances or guarantees regarding your safety, and you can come across intoxicated individuals whom others would find threatening.
However, as a general rule, Melbourne is a relatively safe city, and people may be seen walking around at all hours of the night.
It is widely acknowledged that Melbourne is the most liveable city in the entire world. However, there are significant dangers, particularly after dark, as in most major cities.
During the wet season, floods are a distinct possibility; however, they do not occur very frequently. Other natural dangers could occur in Melbourne, although they are not alarming.
As a result of Melbourne's reputation as a very secure city, the likelihood of being mugged is rather low.
However, there are still some parts of town where you should avoid going at night because there is a risk of being robbed.