❓ Hon Wendy Duncan raises concerns about the withdrawal of police from driver assessment services in rural WA. Minister Ravlich assures that alternative services will be provided, though potentially with reduced availability in some areas.
AnsweredQoN 208Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DRIVER ASSESSMENT — COUNTRY AREAS
As of 1 July 2008 Western Australia Police will no longer undertake driver assessments in country areas, except for in some remote communities. Given that these changes are now little more than three months away, I ask — (1) Will the minister please advise the processes being implemented in country areas to replace the current system of driver assessments by police? (2) Will the minister give an assurance that the existing level of assessment services to people in regional and rural communities will be maintained after 1 July 2008? (3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
As of 1 July 2008 Western Australia Police will no longer undertake driver assessments in country areas, except for in some remote communities. Given that these changes are now little more than three months away, I ask — (1) Will the minister please advise the processes being implemented in country areas to replace the current system of driver assessments by police? (2) Will the minister give an assurance that the existing level of assessment services to people in regional and rural communities will be maintained after 1 July 2008? (3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(1) Will the minister please advise the processes being implemented in country areas to replace the current system of driver assessments by police? (2) Will the minister give an assurance that the existing level of assessment services to people in regional and rural communities will be maintained after 1 July 2008? (3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(2) Will the minister give an assurance that the existing level of assessment services to people in regional and rural communities will be maintained after 1 July 2008? (3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(1) Will the minister please advise the processes being implemented in country areas to replace the current system of driver assessments by police? (2) Will the minister give an assurance that the existing level of assessment services to people in regional and rural communities will be maintained after 1 July 2008? (3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(2) Will the minister give an assurance that the existing level of assessment services to people in regional and rural communities will be maintained after 1 July 2008? (3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(3) Will the minister give an assurance that people who currently have access to driver assessments by their local police will not be required to travel to a larger regional centre for assessment after 1 July 2008. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of that question. (1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
(1)-(3) The policy position of the police in moving out of the driver licensing assessment regime and doing more of what they would call front-line policing was an issue that was brought to my attention a number of months ago. Originally, their departure from driver assessment services was to have been sooner than 1 July. However, after consultation and negotiation, it was agreed that if they withdrew from those services throughout regional and rural Western Australia, we would need sufficient time to make the changes. I am very mindful that there may be concern in some regional and rural areas. I have to say that the licensing people from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure have been working in overdrive to ensure that the services that are currently offered in regional and rural areas will not be diminished and that there will be access to driver assessment services in those regional and rural areas. Will a police officer be in the town providing that service? No, there will not be because the police are withdrawing from providing that service. However, will there be people to undertake that function? Yes, but it will be a slightly different regime. In some regional and rural areas, there will not be somebody available during business hours five days a week as is currently the case. Small communities will have a provider of driver assessment services and people will be able to make a booking to undertake their practical assessment. For example, the licensing person may be available three days a week. In some very small communities, the police may test, let us say, only four or five people a month. Therefore, arrangements will be made. Access to driver assessment services will not be denied. We will accommodate that to the best possible extent that we can to ensure there is minimal disruption for community members in accessing those services.
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