Ms McCARTHY - 2005-06-30
Community safety is of vital interest to me and this government. Can the minister update the House on initiatives to improve policing services in the bush?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to respond to the first question from the member for Arnhem in this House.
As a government, we were very proud of our first term in office regarding our achievements in building our Police Force - which had been appallingly neglected by previous CLP governments - and the commitment by the government for an extra 200 police officers out on the beat by the end of 2006. As I speak, there are three squads, involving over 60 new officers, in training at Berrimah. I certainly enjoy each and every graduation parade I attend.
Delivering improved police services is happening across the Northern Territory, in the towns and in the bush. One of the initiatives in the last term of government was the remote community drug desk. As Community Cabinet travelled around the Northern Territory to the bush regions, members from the bush kept coming to us saying the scourge of drugs in remote communities was getting worse and impacting on those communities. In part, as a result of that representation, the police now have a remote community drug desk, and two drug detective dogs – another first. Those dogs are doing a magnificent job, really squeezing the drug pushers who are hell-bent on pushing their illicit substances on kids in the bush across the Northern Territory and removing a lot of much needed income from those bush communities.
As well as building police numbers across the Northern Territory, we have a real record in improving facilities. It was great to see the new facility at Humpty Doo open earlier this year. It was good to see the new members for Goyder and Daly at the opening ceremony. Who was absent? The previous member for Goyder, the previous member for Daly, and the then Leader of the Opposition who could not be bothered to turn up to the opening of that new facility.
Mr Wood: Do not forget the member for Nelson!
Mr HENDERSON: And the member for Nelson was there, at a particular invitation. It was good to see you there as well, member for Nelson.
Earlier in the term, a new police station was built at Kintore, and that station is making an enormous contribution to improving law and order and safety in that community.
Today, I am pleased to announce that a $1.3m contract to build the new police post in Numbulwar has recently been awarded to local builders, Athanasiou. They have done quite a bit of building work at Numbulwar, and I am sure that that will be welcomed by the member for Arnhem. Work is expected to finish by December ready for operational duty next year. The post will be staffed by two Aboriginal Community Police Officers with accommodation for visiting officers when the need arises. This is further demonstration of our commitment to bush policing.
The design for this post is the basis for other police posts which are going to be constructed. For the member for Macdonnell, we will be working on a police post at Mutitjulu, something that has been called for for many years and, again, a commitment for this government.
It is an exciting time for the Northern Territory Police Force. Numbers are building. They are starting to get results. There is much more to do. We, as a government, are committed to community safety in the towns, and in the bush, and this work will continue for the next term of this government.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to respond to the first question from the member for Arnhem in this House.
As a government, we were very proud of our first term in office regarding our achievements in building our Police Force - which had been appallingly neglected by previous CLP governments - and the commitment by the government for an extra 200 police officers out on the beat by the end of 2006. As I speak, there are three squads, involving over 60 new officers, in training at Berrimah. I certainly enjoy each and every graduation parade I attend.
Delivering improved police services is happening across the Northern Territory, in the towns and in the bush. One of the initiatives in the last term of government was the remote community drug desk. As Community Cabinet travelled around the Northern Territory to the bush regions, members from the bush kept coming to us saying the scourge of drugs in remote communities was getting worse and impacting on those communities. In part, as a result of that representation, the police now have a remote community drug desk, and two drug detective dogs – another first. Those dogs are doing a magnificent job, really squeezing the drug pushers who are hell-bent on pushing their illicit substances on kids in the bush across the Northern Territory and removing a lot of much needed income from those bush communities.
As well as building police numbers across the Northern Territory, we have a real record in improving facilities. It was great to see the new facility at Humpty Doo open earlier this year. It was good to see the new members for Goyder and Daly at the opening ceremony. Who was absent? The previous member for Goyder, the previous member for Daly, and the then Leader of the Opposition who could not be bothered to turn up to the opening of that new facility.
Mr Wood: Do not forget the member for Nelson!
Mr HENDERSON: And the member for Nelson was there, at a particular invitation. It was good to see you there as well, member for Nelson.
Earlier in the term, a new police station was built at Kintore, and that station is making an enormous contribution to improving law and order and safety in that community.
Today, I am pleased to announce that a $1.3m contract to build the new police post in Numbulwar has recently been awarded to local builders, Athanasiou. They have done quite a bit of building work at Numbulwar, and I am sure that that will be welcomed by the member for Arnhem. Work is expected to finish by December ready for operational duty next year. The post will be staffed by two Aboriginal Community Police Officers with accommodation for visiting officers when the need arises. This is further demonstration of our commitment to bush policing.
The design for this post is the basis for other police posts which are going to be constructed. For the member for Macdonnell, we will be working on a police post at Mutitjulu, something that has been called for for many years and, again, a commitment for this government.
It is an exciting time for the Northern Territory Police Force. Numbers are building. They are starting to get results. There is much more to do. We, as a government, are committed to community safety in the towns, and in the bush, and this work will continue for the next term of this government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016