Charges against a Victorian department have been dropped by the Office of Public Prosecution just weeks out from trial

Daniel Wright worked at the Bendigo office of the Department of Health and Human Services between 2017-18. His role saw him often exposed to challenging situations, including going out at night alongside police to respond to urgent child protection matters.

Mr Wright was at the centre of protracted legal proceedings after his complaints about dangerous work practices saw him penalised by his employer. He said he was more worried about safety issues going unchecked, rather than the harm to his career.

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The Victorian WorkSafe Authority laid two charges in 2019 against his employer, since renamed the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, alleging it had broken the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

It alleged at the Bendigo Magistrates Court that DHHS "threatened to alter the position of an employee to his detriment because he had raised issues or concerns about health and safety" and had carried out its threat.

It started a five-year legal journey for Mr Wright to help protect workers and some of the state's most vulnerable children from perilous working conditions.

Mr Wright said he was cross examined in a week-long committal hearing at the Bendigo Magistrates Court and the case was committed for trial at the Victorian County Court.

The Bendigo Advertiser has sighted documents provided to Mr Wright, informing him that the Director of Public Prosecutions was dropping its case just three weeks before the matter was due to go to trial.

"It's all being swept under the rug. It's been so much work and it's so important - not only for me but for the people I was trying to help," Mr Wright said.

Mr Wright no longer works for the department. He had claimed child protection officers were allegedly required to work 16-hour shifts without a break and to drive 700 to 800 kilometres in a shift which lead to unsafe driving.

One of his colleagues crashed into a tree on his way home, it is claimed.

"My colleague was hospitalised after falling asleep behind the wheel ploughing his car into a tree.

"The colleague had been transporting young children prior to this preventable accident occurring," he said.

"I then watched two female colleagues sustain psychological injuries associated with workplace bullying I had reported on their behalf."

A spokeswoman for the Office of Public Prosecutions said there were doubts over the ability to secure a conviction.

"All prosecutions are subject to continual review," she said.

"This matter was carefully reviewed and a determination was made that there were no reasonable prospects of proving the allegations to the standard of beyond reasonable doubt."

A spokesman for Attorney General Jaclyn Symes said she would not comment on decisions made by the OPP. WorkSafe and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing also declined to comment.

Last week in Parliament Northern Victorian MP Tania Maxwell called for a watchdog to be appointed to independently oversee the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

"There have been 15 reviews and inquiries into Victoria's child protection system since 2009 and report after report is damning," she said.

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