I was unaware of this. It seems to have been rolled out previously in other states, and now Vic.
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This telephone number has been advertised in South Australia for many years, and is often seen written on the back of Police vehicles. It reads something like For non urgent Police assistance, call 131 444 24 hours
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As a South Australian having had the secondary police number for some time I have often reflected on how stupid it is and how it confuses the whole emergency issue.
Now, instead of responding to an emergency quickly, we are compelled to stop and evaluate which number we should call. What is an emergency can be a relative matter and not necessarily interpreted in the same way by all.
Here’s a novel idea, just increase the capacity on the 000 service! In many countries the emergency number acts as a triage for incoming calls and directs the call to the appropriate authorities and eliminates any confusion as to which number to call.
Why do we always have to take the more convoluted solution to simple problems in this country???
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There is the same need to make decisions when you call 000 @gminervini . You are asked whether you want Fire Ambulance or Police.
What if you need all three such as for a motor vehicle collision? Why can’t you just report the problem and let 000 take the information and pass it on, or if needed get the right people on the phone to talk to you?
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My experience is that the 000 operator makes that decision, based on a standard set of questions of the caller, including identifying the caller, location and nature of the emergency. Not necessarily in that order.
The response is subsequently directed through the emergency services network by the operator, as many emergencies need multiple services and specialists.
Perhaps other states are less organised?
Yes, you may be passed through to a single service, but only after any response has been determined and put into action.
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The Police Assistance Line (PAL) is already advertised in WA, SA, ACT, Queensland and NSW (and perhaps other states) - although it is apparently called “Policelink” in Qld.
Hey, at least all the states could agree on the same one number. 
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