Chris Garnaut, founder of major property developer Fawkner Property, has refused further retail investments in Victoria and branded the state a "criminal's dream", citing soaring retail crime as the primary concern. His comments come as retail giants call on Victorian Premier Ben Carroll to strengthen legislation against shop crime, with the issue set to feature prominently in November's state election campaign.

Victoria recorded 96,008 retail crime offences in the 12 months to June 2026, with theft incidents occurring at a rate of 102 per day and assaults at 14 daily. Whilst figures showed a slight decrease from 2025's 99,000 offences, Victoria remains Australia's retail crime capital. The state's new Workplace Protection Orders scheme, beginning March 2027, has been criticised by the Australian Retail Council as the nation's weakest framework, as it requires court orders before offenders can be barred—leaving retailers vulnerable to repeat offenders in the interim. Evidence suggests approximately 10 per cent of offenders are responsible for roughly 60 per cent of retail crime harm, prompting calls from business leaders for immediate temporary laws rather than waiting for March 2027.