Mr KIELY - 2005-10-12
Hundreds of Territorians take to the water every week for work and leisure, or just to enjoy our great lifestyle. Can you please update the House on the latest measures to boost water safety for anglers and boaties in and around Darwin Harbour?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an excellent question for today. The House remembers that, two years ago, we, as government, unveiled our $75m Building Our Police Force plan. There were two very strong elements of that, one of which was the human resources side of police. We have committed to 200 extra police by the end of next year. The other was boosting and upgrading equipment existing and new officers will need to do their job. One element of that record injection of resources was a $1m coastal vessel purchasing program; a four-year plan to boost the water patrol and search and rescue capabilities of our police force.
At lunchtime today, along with the Police minister, the Police Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and members of the Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit, I was delighted to officially launch the latest instalment in that plan, the 14 m police patrol vessel The Beagle Gulf. What a very fine vessel it is. It is now out on Darwin Harbour where it will be stationed. It cost $440 000 and is 14 m long. It is the largest boat in the NT Police fleet. It is the fourth boat to be delivered by that coastal vessel program.
As I said, the new boat will be here in Darwin, and will patrol the waters in and around Darwin Harbour and about 30 nautical miles out to sea. It will be a big boost for our Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit. They have the numbers. We found when we came to government that it had the numbers but did not have the boats to do the job. It is very difficult to be a Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Officer and not actually be able to have the boat to get out on the water. They do an important job for us; they enforce the Fisheries Act. They also, importantly - because so many people in Darwin love to get out in the water across the Top End - come to anglers who are in distress and help them out.
There are two more boats still to come from the $1m vessel program. I am pleased to advise that local business, Territory Marine, has won the contract to build these two 7.4 m vessels. The first of the boats will be delivered this financial year, stationed at Wadeye, and the second will be delivered in the 2006–07 year and will be stationed at Ngukurr. In addition, the 6.1 m Finniss, which is currently stationed in Darwin and, having seen it on the water today, is a very fast boat. The member for Nhulunbuy will be delighted, it is going to Nhulunbuy. The Finniss is off to Nhulunbuy.
The coastal vessel program will ensure that the police have at least eight vessels more than 7.4 m long stationed in key points around the Northern Territory by the end of 2007. I am sure we should all welcome to Darwin Harbour such a very fine boat in The Beagle Gulf launched today.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an excellent question for today. The House remembers that, two years ago, we, as government, unveiled our $75m Building Our Police Force plan. There were two very strong elements of that, one of which was the human resources side of police. We have committed to 200 extra police by the end of next year. The other was boosting and upgrading equipment existing and new officers will need to do their job. One element of that record injection of resources was a $1m coastal vessel purchasing program; a four-year plan to boost the water patrol and search and rescue capabilities of our police force.
At lunchtime today, along with the Police minister, the Police Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and members of the Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit, I was delighted to officially launch the latest instalment in that plan, the 14 m police patrol vessel The Beagle Gulf. What a very fine vessel it is. It is now out on Darwin Harbour where it will be stationed. It cost $440 000 and is 14 m long. It is the largest boat in the NT Police fleet. It is the fourth boat to be delivered by that coastal vessel program.
As I said, the new boat will be here in Darwin, and will patrol the waters in and around Darwin Harbour and about 30 nautical miles out to sea. It will be a big boost for our Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit. They have the numbers. We found when we came to government that it had the numbers but did not have the boats to do the job. It is very difficult to be a Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Officer and not actually be able to have the boat to get out on the water. They do an important job for us; they enforce the Fisheries Act. They also, importantly - because so many people in Darwin love to get out in the water across the Top End - come to anglers who are in distress and help them out.
There are two more boats still to come from the $1m vessel program. I am pleased to advise that local business, Territory Marine, has won the contract to build these two 7.4 m vessels. The first of the boats will be delivered this financial year, stationed at Wadeye, and the second will be delivered in the 2006–07 year and will be stationed at Ngukurr. In addition, the 6.1 m Finniss, which is currently stationed in Darwin and, having seen it on the water today, is a very fast boat. The member for Nhulunbuy will be delighted, it is going to Nhulunbuy. The Finniss is off to Nhulunbuy.
The coastal vessel program will ensure that the police have at least eight vessels more than 7.4 m long stationed in key points around the Northern Territory by the end of 2007. I am sure we should all welcome to Darwin Harbour such a very fine boat in The Beagle Gulf launched today.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016