Public notice: Northland Shopping Centre, Preston - Thursday 17 September 2026

Declaration of Designated Area under section 10D of the Control of Weapons Act 1990 (Vic)

The Assistant Commissioner, North-West Metro Region, acting as a delegate of the Chief Commissioner of Police, has declared under section 10D(1)(a) of the Control of Weapons Act 1990 (Act), the below location as a designated area.

Designated Area

The area that is declared to be a Designated Area is all public places within Northland Shopping Centre, Preston, including associated car parks and direct surrounds, being the area bordered by and inclusive of:

• the intersection of Murray Road and the Darebin Creek
• north to intersecting Darebin Creek and foot bridge extension from Wood Street
• west along Wood Street to the intersection of Wood Street and the western fence line of Northland Shopping Centre
• south to the intersection of the western fence line of Northland Shopping Centre and Murray Road, and
• east to the intersection of Murray Road and Darebin Creek.

See below map.

Victoria Police powers in designated area

Police officers and protective services officers (PSOs) are empowered to stop and search a person and anything in the possession or control of the person, or a vehicle, for weapons under the Act.

This may include:

• a search via electronic device
• a search of the contents of pockets/bags
• an outer search, or
• a strip search.

Police officers and PSOs are able to seize any item reasonably suspected of being a weapon. Police officers may also require a person who is subject to a strip search to disclose their identity.

A police officer may also exercise their power under the Act to direct a person to leave the designated area if:

• the person refuses to remove a face covering and the police officer reasonably believes they are wearing the face covering primarily to conceal their identity or protect themselves from crowd control substances, or
• the police officer reasonably believes that the person intends to engage in conduct that would constitute an affray or violent disorder under s.195H and s.195I of the Crimes Act 1958 respectively.

It is an offence under the Act to obstruct or hinder a police officer or PSO in the exercise of a power to stop and search a person or vehicle or to fail to comply with a direction to leave the designated area without a reasonable excuse.