New laws giving more teeth to police to crack down on street violence were introduced on Thursday in the Australian state of Victoria, which was hit by a series of attacks on Indian students in recent months.

Police and Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron said the laws, introduced by the state parliament, will boost the ability of Victoria Police to deal with drunkenness, disorder in public places and violence.

"Anti-social behaviour has no place on our streets and these new laws introduced by our government will help keep Victorian communities safe so that people can enjoy public spaces," Cameron was quoted as saying by the AAP news agency.

The new police powers include tougher random search powers for weapons in designated areas, the power for police to tell people to move on from certain areas and on-the-spot fines for disorderly or drunken behaviour.

Cameron said senior police officers will be empowered to declare designated areas, such as entertainment precincts and railway stations, on the basis of past evidence and police intelligence about the use of weapons.

"Police will also have the power to use the new search laws when an immediate response to an incident is necessary in order to protect public safety," he said. Cameron said laws enabling searches for weapons have been strengthened to help protect policemen in the line of duty.