❓ Ms. Beard asks the Premier to request federal funding for WA's North West similar to the NT's crime prevention investment. The Premier highlights state investments in police and social programs, mentions a planned visit with the Prime Minister, and emphasizes addressing alcohol prevalence as a key factor in crime.
AnsweredQoN 21Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CRIME — NORTH WEST
21. Ms M. BEARD to the Premier:
I refer to the escalating crime
crisis in parts of regional WA, the Prime Minister's visit to Western Australia
next week and the invitation for the Premier to visit my electorate to see the
scale of the problem for himself. Noting the announcement of $250 million from
the federal government for the Northern Territory to address social issues and
crime, will the Premier on behalf of Western Australian communities ask for the
delivery of similar investment to protect our north west communities and break
the insidious cycle of crime and dysfunction?
21. Ms M. BEARD to the Premier:
I refer to the escalating crime
crisis in parts of regional WA, the Prime Minister's visit to Western Australia
next week and the invitation for the Premier to visit my electorate to see the
scale of the problem for himself. Noting the announcement of $250 million from
the federal government for the Northern Territory to address social issues and
crime, will the Premier on behalf of Western Australian communities ask for the
delivery of similar investment to protect our north west communities and break
the insidious cycle of crime and dysfunction?
AnswerView source ↗
Obviously, the state government
invests an enormous amount in additional police and additional resourcing
around regional WA—an enormous amount. We have had the largest
recruitment program of additional police ever seen in Western Australia with 1 100 additional police, a large proportion of
whom will be posted to, and are being posted to, regional Western Australia. New social programs, as outlined to the
member, are rolling out in many of the communities around regional Western
Australia as we speak, including the Target 120 program. We preserved and saved the police and community youth centres
around Western Australia. They had a huge funding hole. We injected money and saved the PCYCs and upgraded them, including in the community of
Carnarvon. We provided it with a new magnificent facility to provide
opportunities for young people to be engaged in proper and constructive
sporting and social activities.
Obviously,
I will be visiting Port Hedland with the Prime Minister and his cabinet, which
is holding a meeting in Hedland. I think it is next week. That is
fantastic. I mean, it is honestly fantastic that the full cabinet of the
Commonwealth of Australia is going to hold a meeting in the shipping control
tower at Hedland. Think about it: they will be able to watch ships coming in
and out; they will be able to experience it. That has never been done by a cabinet
before in the history of Australia, and I am very pleased it took up the
opportunity and offer to do that. It is a credit to the Prime Minister.
Obviously, I expect we will have things to say when I am in Hedland with the
Prime Minister and his cabinet. I will be visiting Hedland and other
communities around the state and rolling out various amounts.
But I want to make one point to the
member. One of the problems that is suffered from, particularly in communities
like Carnarvon, is the prevalence of alcohol. There is too much alcohol. We are
taking steps, and we want the member's
support to take steps, to cut down the prevalence of alcohol and make sure that
the agreements, the accords , that are being put in place are supported
by all the purveyors of alcohol in that community. We will be watching
carefully which purveyors of alcohol agree to those accords.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We expect that
all purveyors of alcohol in that community would agree to take action,
particularly those people who complain about crime in that community.
invests an enormous amount in additional police and additional resourcing
around regional WA—an enormous amount. We have had the largest
recruitment program of additional police ever seen in Western Australia with 1 100 additional police, a large proportion of
whom will be posted to, and are being posted to, regional Western Australia. New social programs, as outlined to the
member, are rolling out in many of the communities around regional Western
Australia as we speak, including the Target 120 program. We preserved and saved the police and community youth centres
around Western Australia. They had a huge funding hole. We injected money and saved the PCYCs and upgraded them, including in the community of
Carnarvon. We provided it with a new magnificent facility to provide
opportunities for young people to be engaged in proper and constructive
sporting and social activities.
Obviously,
I will be visiting Port Hedland with the Prime Minister and his cabinet, which
is holding a meeting in Hedland. I think it is next week. That is
fantastic. I mean, it is honestly fantastic that the full cabinet of the
Commonwealth of Australia is going to hold a meeting in the shipping control
tower at Hedland. Think about it: they will be able to watch ships coming in
and out; they will be able to experience it. That has never been done by a cabinet
before in the history of Australia, and I am very pleased it took up the
opportunity and offer to do that. It is a credit to the Prime Minister.
Obviously, I expect we will have things to say when I am in Hedland with the
Prime Minister and his cabinet. I will be visiting Hedland and other
communities around the state and rolling out various amounts.
But I want to make one point to the
member. One of the problems that is suffered from, particularly in communities
like Carnarvon, is the prevalence of alcohol. There is too much alcohol. We are
taking steps, and we want the member's
support to take steps, to cut down the prevalence of alcohol and make sure that
the agreements, the accords , that are being put in place are supported
by all the purveyors of alcohol in that community. We will be watching
carefully which purveyors of alcohol agree to those accords.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We expect that
all purveyors of alcohol in that community would agree to take action,
particularly those people who complain about crime in that community.
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