Mrs AAGAARD - 2004-02-24
You previously informed the House of the establishment of crime prevention councils across the Territory. Could you please provide an update on those organisations which are working in partnership with government to prevent crime and build safer communities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this question goes to the partnership that we have now very strongly formed with the NPY Women’s Council in Central Australia as our newest regional crime prevention council. NPY is a group that we have a very long family association with. My brother, Philip, worked in that area for many years in the 1970’s and, only late last year, I went round to the launch of a fantastic little book called Ngangkari Work - Anangu Way, which was produced through NPY Women’s Council, and two old tjilpis treated my knee on the spot. They must have overcooked it a bit, because not only did my knee clear up, but I ended up as the Health minister.
This group has done some fantastic work, and to now see the formation of our brand new crime prevention council in that area is another very important structure that we can work through now with indigenous people in that part of the Northern Territory to tackle crime prevention issues. The issues that have been identified by NPY Women’s Council, along with the Docker River and Mutitjulu communities, are particularly with substance abuse such as petrol sniffing and cannabis use. The women there, quite rightly, see that as a major assault on both the stability and the cultural future of their communities. They cannot simply stand by and watch what is happening in those communities, particularly with petrol sniffing amongst the younger people and cannabis amongst the young adults. I have a huge amount of confidence in this, as that group of women and community leaders in those communities are showing such strength in the face of what are very challenging social issues afflicting their communities.
The regional crime prevention council is one of the structures that our government is working through in that area to tackle these very difficult social issues. As you may be aware from earlier reports I brought to this House, we have set up cross-border initiatives in the same area that NPY Women’s Council operate in. These are cooperative arrangements with the South Australian, Western Australian and Northern Territory governments. It will allow policing to be cross-border. It will allow Western Australian police to come into Northern Territory communities and operate alongside our police, and vice versa. Our police will be able to pursue or follow offenders across the border into the other jurisdictions and, again, act in a full role of policemen in terms of enforcing and following up on offences. Similarly, the arrangements will extend to the courts.
Similar arrangements will extend to Parole and Correctional Services programs operating with individuals in that part of the Territory. That is a huge step forward when you look at the combination of the cultural and community strength that is going to come into the programs sponsored by our government resources in that area, by dint of the Crime Prevention Council structure, alongside these arrangements between the agencies of the three jurisdictions, so that we can tackle right across, between government and the community input.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: Docker River is a case to hand, and I can see the member for Macdonnell getting all excited. Docker River has had a long-standing issue about policing, with the fact that they have had some major incidents there over the last 12 months or so. I put on record in this House the offer that has been made to Docker River; that we want to work with them to establish a police post arrangement, where police can come into the community on patrols - not move through in one day, but to remain in the community with some accommodation and a lock-up. We have promised two Aboriginal community police officer positions there. That would be a very good coverage when you consider that, just across the border, will be a Western Australian police station …
Mr Elferink: This, ladies and gentlemen of the gallery, is a filibuster!
Dr TOYNE:… which can provide additional police cover in concert with the police that we will be putting in there. If you put all that together, you get quite a strong structure now for us to go to work on the issues in that area.
It is very interesting. You hardly ever hear from the member for Macdonnell over there on what he suggests can be done about this ...
Mr Elferink: You were not listening to my adjournment debate the other night.
Dr TOYNE: He is so busy trying to compulsorily acquire land from the Arrente people in town, he does not have the time to deal with the NPY area. Let us bring on a bit of a campaign to let people out there know what you are up to, old sport, because they would be very interested to hear some of the positions you are taking in this House and in Alice Springs through the media. We will certainly go out there and tell them.
I look forward to taking up this new and very powerful partnership with NPY women, with Mutitjulu and Docker River communities.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, we have had a number of questions on this particular topic and you know Standing Order 114 refers to repetitious questions. Some of your questions could have been embraced in a whole question. Seeing we are nearly towards the end of Question Time, could you perhaps get to the point.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this question goes to the partnership that we have now very strongly formed with the NPY Women’s Council in Central Australia as our newest regional crime prevention council. NPY is a group that we have a very long family association with. My brother, Philip, worked in that area for many years in the 1970’s and, only late last year, I went round to the launch of a fantastic little book called Ngangkari Work - Anangu Way, which was produced through NPY Women’s Council, and two old tjilpis treated my knee on the spot. They must have overcooked it a bit, because not only did my knee clear up, but I ended up as the Health minister.
This group has done some fantastic work, and to now see the formation of our brand new crime prevention council in that area is another very important structure that we can work through now with indigenous people in that part of the Northern Territory to tackle crime prevention issues. The issues that have been identified by NPY Women’s Council, along with the Docker River and Mutitjulu communities, are particularly with substance abuse such as petrol sniffing and cannabis use. The women there, quite rightly, see that as a major assault on both the stability and the cultural future of their communities. They cannot simply stand by and watch what is happening in those communities, particularly with petrol sniffing amongst the younger people and cannabis amongst the young adults. I have a huge amount of confidence in this, as that group of women and community leaders in those communities are showing such strength in the face of what are very challenging social issues afflicting their communities.
The regional crime prevention council is one of the structures that our government is working through in that area to tackle these very difficult social issues. As you may be aware from earlier reports I brought to this House, we have set up cross-border initiatives in the same area that NPY Women’s Council operate in. These are cooperative arrangements with the South Australian, Western Australian and Northern Territory governments. It will allow policing to be cross-border. It will allow Western Australian police to come into Northern Territory communities and operate alongside our police, and vice versa. Our police will be able to pursue or follow offenders across the border into the other jurisdictions and, again, act in a full role of policemen in terms of enforcing and following up on offences. Similarly, the arrangements will extend to the courts.
Similar arrangements will extend to Parole and Correctional Services programs operating with individuals in that part of the Territory. That is a huge step forward when you look at the combination of the cultural and community strength that is going to come into the programs sponsored by our government resources in that area, by dint of the Crime Prevention Council structure, alongside these arrangements between the agencies of the three jurisdictions, so that we can tackle right across, between government and the community input.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: Docker River is a case to hand, and I can see the member for Macdonnell getting all excited. Docker River has had a long-standing issue about policing, with the fact that they have had some major incidents there over the last 12 months or so. I put on record in this House the offer that has been made to Docker River; that we want to work with them to establish a police post arrangement, where police can come into the community on patrols - not move through in one day, but to remain in the community with some accommodation and a lock-up. We have promised two Aboriginal community police officer positions there. That would be a very good coverage when you consider that, just across the border, will be a Western Australian police station …
Mr Elferink: This, ladies and gentlemen of the gallery, is a filibuster!
Dr TOYNE:… which can provide additional police cover in concert with the police that we will be putting in there. If you put all that together, you get quite a strong structure now for us to go to work on the issues in that area.
It is very interesting. You hardly ever hear from the member for Macdonnell over there on what he suggests can be done about this ...
Mr Elferink: You were not listening to my adjournment debate the other night.
Dr TOYNE: He is so busy trying to compulsorily acquire land from the Arrente people in town, he does not have the time to deal with the NPY area. Let us bring on a bit of a campaign to let people out there know what you are up to, old sport, because they would be very interested to hear some of the positions you are taking in this House and in Alice Springs through the media. We will certainly go out there and tell them.
I look forward to taking up this new and very powerful partnership with NPY women, with Mutitjulu and Docker River communities.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, we have had a number of questions on this particular topic and you know Standing Order 114 refers to repetitious questions. Some of your questions could have been embraced in a whole question. Seeing we are nearly towards the end of Question Time, could you perhaps get to the point.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016