LIVE UPDATES: Accused Porepunkah police killer Dezi Freeman shot dead after months on the run, Victoria Police press conference at 11am

29 Mar 2026, 22:40 by Alexander Darling · WAtoday

7.32am

Freeman talk of the town in Porepunkah for months

By Angus Delaney and Alexander Darling

News that police killer Dezi Freeman was shot dead by police had come as a relief to Bright and Porepunkah locals, said Scott Brandon, owner of the Bright Brewery.

“It’s been something that’s been on our mind for several months now,” he told ABC Radio.

Bright cafe owner Leanne Boyd on September 5. At the time, Boyd said businesses in the Alpine region were still impacted by the Porepunkah police deaths.

Brandon said early on the large scale police search had impacted tourism, and “caused a lot of fear in the community”.

He said the uncertainty over Freeman’s disappearance had hung over towns.

“While we’ve moved on as a community since then … it still dominates discussions in the area.”

Businesses in the tourist town of Porepunkah took a major hit, with residents initially being told to stay indoors and tourists avoiding the area where police were searching for Freeman.

On September 15, the state government announced a $2.5 million relief package will be delivered to the Porepunkah and Bright region to try and soften to blow of the disruptions.