Victoria Police officers will be able to issue immediate and indefinite intervention orders in family violence cases, if the coalition wins the November election.

Currently officers must get approval from supervisors for such orders, which are only in place for 14 days and must be formally set by a court.

South West Coast Roma Britnell said the initiate would make a real difference.

“This gives more police the tools they need to best protect victims of family violence,” she said.

“Rather than putting more bureaucratic processes in place, a Liberal National Government will deliver real, practical measures that help those on the front line deal with these critical situations,” she said.

The proposed reform would mean any officer ranked senior constable and higher attending a family violence call-out could issue an order for the accused to stay away and the order would only lapse if it was challenged in court, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy announced on Sunday.

He said allowing attending police to enforce an immediate intervention orders in cases of family violence would mean no loss of critical time seeking such an order.

An elected Liberal Nationals coalition would amend the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 to allow a Victoria Police member of senior constable, or higher rank, present on location to authorise the issue of on-the-spot, Family Violence Safety Notices. 

"This change will give police the powers to intervene straight away," Mr Guy said.

A coalition government would put the changes in place within the first 100 days of winning the election, he said.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has called for such powers in the past.

He said in August giving police the ability to issue intervention orders without the need to go to court would be less traumatic for victims.

Mr Guy said that in practice an officer as senior as a sergeant or higher rank was seldom in attendance or nearby, especially in regional areas.

He said that as a result it could be hours before a Family Violence Safety Notice was issued and served.

Mr Guy said the change will mean that a notice could be issued and served immediately by a senior constable or higher rank and any breach of this order could result in the arrest and remand of the offender. 

Issuing a notice by attending police does not prevent parties to the order, either the alleged victim or the alleged offender, from seeking a Magistrates Court hearing as soon as possible.

A Liberal Nationals Government would also legislate to remove the current 14 day limit for Family Violence Safety Notices so they will operate until such time as an application time is made to the Magistrates Court. 

At the moment, Family Violence Safety Notices expire after up to 14 days and then an applicant must go to the Magistrates Court to seek an extension or a permanent Family Violence Intervention Order.

Mr Guy said that was often a traumatic, time consuming and costly period for everyone, including victims and police.

A secondary but important benefit of this policy is an expected reduction in Magistrates Court mentions hearings and therefore freeing up court time to deal with other cases, and thus help to reduce the number of remand prisoners.

Reforms of this type reforms have previously been called for by members of Victoria Police and the police association including submissions to the Family Violence Royal Commission.

Mr Guy said it was a tough and swift approach to alleged offenders and would save lives.

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Georgie Crozier said it was a common sense and practical idea.

In a further law and order election pitch, the opposition also promised to create better career progression for protective service officers.

Currently if a PSO, guards who currently patrol places like train stations and parliament, wants to become a police officer, they must start their training from scratch.

But Mr Guy said the officers had already undergone half of the necessary training, so the coalition would cut time off for PSOs wanting to transition to police as well as creating ranks within the PSO regime to recognise experience.

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