❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding intrastate travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on information availability, roadblock placement, and system review. The Minister's response provides updates and justifications for the measures.
AnsweredQoN 222Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
INTRASTATE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
222. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the regional travel
restrictions brought into place on Tuesday night, and put on record my thanks
and appreciation to the WA police and others charged with managing this
enormous task under difficult circumstances.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house when further information regarding these restrictions
will be published, including but not limited
to forms for exemptions, online licensing systems and frequently asked
questions?
(2) Could the
minister clarify the rationale for locating some roadblocks within regional
borders as opposed to on regional borders?
(3) Will there be
a review of the system to address emerging issues identified as it is
implemented; and, if so, when?
INTRASTATE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
222. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the regional travel
restrictions brought into place on Tuesday night, and put on record my thanks
and appreciation to the WA police and others charged with managing this
enormous task under difficult circumstances.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house when further information regarding these restrictions
will be published, including but not limited
to forms for exemptions, online licensing systems and frequently asked
questions?
(2) Could the
minister clarify the rationale for locating some roadblocks within regional
borders as opposed to on regional borders?
(3) Will there be
a review of the system to address emerging issues identified as it is
implemented; and, if so, when?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
thank the Leader of the National Party for that question about the regional
travel restrictions. Information about those restrictions and the various
exemptions is on the WA government website. If members look there, they will see that it is under section 67
of the Emergency Management Act, ''Prohibition on Regional Travel
Directions''. There are about five or six pages listing the various
exemptions and the like. By and large, police are attempting to take a commonsense
approach to this. I think the figures that I gave in the brief ministerial
statement indicate that. Of the 17 760 people who attended a checkpoint
yesterday, 17 674 people were recognised as being in the exempt category. That
shows me that most people are doing the
right thing. The vast majority of people were able to proceed because they met
one of those exempt categories. They were going to work, or they were
delivering goods, or any of the various things that we have already outlined
that are listed in the information that is on the WA government website.
Clarifying the location of some of
the roadblocks has been very difficult. We have never had to attempt to close off our regions before. Police have
identified the sites that they think fit best. I commend the work of
Deputy Commissioner Gary Dreibergs, Commander Darryl Gaunt, Superintendent Andy
Greatwood and others. They have been very closely involved in this matter.
People have been referring to them as roadblocks. They are not fixed
roadblocks. They are movable checkpoints. We have had some feedback about some
of those checkpoints. The police have attempted to put them in the most
sensible position possible. They have, for
example, liaised with industry about that. I know that there has been a lot of
liaison , partly instigated by the members for Bunbury and Mandurah,
about workers at Wagerup, for example, and where the checkpoint is most
appropriately located. When I have received feedback from people, I have
provided it to Deputy Commissioner Dreibergs, and he says that he will act on that.
He reminded me, of course, that these are not fixed roadblocks. They are
checkpoints and when a suggestion is made and it makes sense, they will act on
it. The police are liaising with local government. The feedback that the member for Mandurah gave me yesterday was
feedback that he had received from the Peel Development Commission. I provided
that to Deputy Commissioner Dreibergs. I understand that that checkpoint will
likely be shifted today. It was pointed out that that checkpoint had been put
there for a reason, but people travelling within that district were getting
caught out by it—they were just going to shop in Pinjarra or something
of that nature and being caught out—so our officers are dealing with
that.
The system is being constantly
reviewed. They have been looking at alternatives and I understand some of those
checkpoints that we had negative feedback on yesterday have already been moved
today, and it is likely that others will be moved tomorrow. Members in the
other house have asked me to produce a list of where the roadblocks are. I have
said, ''Look, they're not roadblocks; they're
checkpoints.'' I am loath to provide a daily list of where they are,
because I think that would be counterproductive. From a road safety point of
view—but also to have effective borders for these districts—I
do not want to see people perhaps taking rat runs or back roads or lesser
standard roads because there is a checkpoint on another road. Police are very
mindful of this. As well as having the checkpoints, they also will be mobile in
those districts and be checking. I put people on notice: if you know where a checkpoint
is and you think you can take a back road, police will be checking alternative
roads as well.
I thank members of the public for
their forbearance. Again, if members here are aware of issues in their district
that need to be addressed, I am more than happy to do that. Just since the
other night, the member for Moore, for example, raised for me that partners of
fly in, fly out workers were wanting to pick them up from the airport and so we
addressed that. A range of members have raised those issues and police have
dealt with them in a very commonsense way.
thank the Leader of the National Party for that question about the regional
travel restrictions. Information about those restrictions and the various
exemptions is on the WA government website. If members look there, they will see that it is under section 67
of the Emergency Management Act, ''Prohibition on Regional Travel
Directions''. There are about five or six pages listing the various
exemptions and the like. By and large, police are attempting to take a commonsense
approach to this. I think the figures that I gave in the brief ministerial
statement indicate that. Of the 17 760 people who attended a checkpoint
yesterday, 17 674 people were recognised as being in the exempt category. That
shows me that most people are doing the
right thing. The vast majority of people were able to proceed because they met
one of those exempt categories. They were going to work, or they were
delivering goods, or any of the various things that we have already outlined
that are listed in the information that is on the WA government website.
Clarifying the location of some of
the roadblocks has been very difficult. We have never had to attempt to close off our regions before. Police have
identified the sites that they think fit best. I commend the work of
Deputy Commissioner Gary Dreibergs, Commander Darryl Gaunt, Superintendent Andy
Greatwood and others. They have been very closely involved in this matter.
People have been referring to them as roadblocks. They are not fixed
roadblocks. They are movable checkpoints. We have had some feedback about some
of those checkpoints. The police have attempted to put them in the most
sensible position possible. They have, for
example, liaised with industry about that. I know that there has been a lot of
liaison , partly instigated by the members for Bunbury and Mandurah,
about workers at Wagerup, for example, and where the checkpoint is most
appropriately located. When I have received feedback from people, I have
provided it to Deputy Commissioner Dreibergs, and he says that he will act on that.
He reminded me, of course, that these are not fixed roadblocks. They are
checkpoints and when a suggestion is made and it makes sense, they will act on
it. The police are liaising with local government. The feedback that the member for Mandurah gave me yesterday was
feedback that he had received from the Peel Development Commission. I provided
that to Deputy Commissioner Dreibergs. I understand that that checkpoint will
likely be shifted today. It was pointed out that that checkpoint had been put
there for a reason, but people travelling within that district were getting
caught out by it—they were just going to shop in Pinjarra or something
of that nature and being caught out—so our officers are dealing with
that.
The system is being constantly
reviewed. They have been looking at alternatives and I understand some of those
checkpoints that we had negative feedback on yesterday have already been moved
today, and it is likely that others will be moved tomorrow. Members in the
other house have asked me to produce a list of where the roadblocks are. I have
said, ''Look, they're not roadblocks; they're
checkpoints.'' I am loath to provide a daily list of where they are,
because I think that would be counterproductive. From a road safety point of
view—but also to have effective borders for these districts—I
do not want to see people perhaps taking rat runs or back roads or lesser
standard roads because there is a checkpoint on another road. Police are very
mindful of this. As well as having the checkpoints, they also will be mobile in
those districts and be checking. I put people on notice: if you know where a checkpoint
is and you think you can take a back road, police will be checking alternative
roads as well.
I thank members of the public for
their forbearance. Again, if members here are aware of issues in their district
that need to be addressed, I am more than happy to do that. Just since the
other night, the member for Moore, for example, raised for me that partners of
fly in, fly out workers were wanting to pick them up from the airport and so we
addressed that. A range of members have raised those issues and police have
dealt with them in a very commonsense way.
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