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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Jonathan Barrett Business editor

As tobacconist firebombings intensify in Melbourne, nearby stores are being denied insurance

A destroyed tobacco store
A fire-damaged tobacco store in Coburg in Melbourne’s north in 2024. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Small businesses located near tobacconists are being denied insurance or priced out of coverage as rising arson attacks turn neighbouring shops into collateral damage.

The problem has intensified after a spate of firebombings, which includes a recent Melbourne blaze that destroyed a Richmond tobacco retailer and nearly a dozen neighbouring shops, requiring 80 firefighters to contain.

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