Ms ANDERSON - 2008-05-06
How does Budget 2008-09 deliver for Territory families and make our streets safer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. Budget 2008-09 does deliver for Territory families right across all sectors of infrastructure and social spending. The budget is delivering for Territory families by providing record amounts for health, education, roads and infrastructure, and also cutting taxes for businesses, giving them the confidence to invest and employ more people across the Territory.
We have a record budget for Police, Fire and Emergency Services of $247m this year, an increase of 81% since 2001. Under the budget this year, an additional 35 police officers will be recruited to make our streets and communities safer across the Northern Territory - the first of 60 officers to be recruited under the two-year Safer Streets program. This program is worth $9.3m and will deliver more patrols in urban areas to tackle youth crime and antisocial behaviour. There is also $13m to upgrade the police communications network, which our police rely on. This will be the platform they can build on into the future.
There is also funding in the budget to tackle youth crime. As the Treasurer said in her delivery of the budget speech today, we have tough laws on youth crime and we are backing them up with money in the budget. We have closed the revolving door on juvenile diversion, with over $2m to establish a regime for Parental Responsibility Agreements and Orders. This will guarantee compliance with those orders as they are handed down by the courts for that small number of parents - a very critical target group - who do not appear to give a damn what their kids are up to at night, causing grief around the Northern Territory. There is $450 000 for new youth camps to get those young offenders out of the cycle of crime and into a more positive environment.
In the bush, there is $4.3m to deliver 24 additional police resources for the Child Abuse Task Force. This represents part of our critical fight in improving safety and security for our children throughout the Northern Territory. The task force has the essential role of collecting evidence to bring abusers to courts, which is important, fundamental work we have to do, and 24 additional police is certainly going to assist and make big inroads.
There is $2.3m for increased police numbers in remote communities; $420 000 to establish 10 community courts across the Northern Territory to deliver justice in the communities; and $980 000 for an additional 10 Community Corrections officers and two extra court clinicians.
Budget 2008-09 is about delivering safer communities for all Territory families wherever they live.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. Budget 2008-09 does deliver for Territory families right across all sectors of infrastructure and social spending. The budget is delivering for Territory families by providing record amounts for health, education, roads and infrastructure, and also cutting taxes for businesses, giving them the confidence to invest and employ more people across the Territory.
We have a record budget for Police, Fire and Emergency Services of $247m this year, an increase of 81% since 2001. Under the budget this year, an additional 35 police officers will be recruited to make our streets and communities safer across the Northern Territory - the first of 60 officers to be recruited under the two-year Safer Streets program. This program is worth $9.3m and will deliver more patrols in urban areas to tackle youth crime and antisocial behaviour. There is also $13m to upgrade the police communications network, which our police rely on. This will be the platform they can build on into the future.
There is also funding in the budget to tackle youth crime. As the Treasurer said in her delivery of the budget speech today, we have tough laws on youth crime and we are backing them up with money in the budget. We have closed the revolving door on juvenile diversion, with over $2m to establish a regime for Parental Responsibility Agreements and Orders. This will guarantee compliance with those orders as they are handed down by the courts for that small number of parents - a very critical target group - who do not appear to give a damn what their kids are up to at night, causing grief around the Northern Territory. There is $450 000 for new youth camps to get those young offenders out of the cycle of crime and into a more positive environment.
In the bush, there is $4.3m to deliver 24 additional police resources for the Child Abuse Task Force. This represents part of our critical fight in improving safety and security for our children throughout the Northern Territory. The task force has the essential role of collecting evidence to bring abusers to courts, which is important, fundamental work we have to do, and 24 additional police is certainly going to assist and make big inroads.
There is $2.3m for increased police numbers in remote communities; $420 000 to establish 10 community courts across the Northern Territory to deliver justice in the communities; and $980 000 for an additional 10 Community Corrections officers and two extra court clinicians.
Budget 2008-09 is about delivering safer communities for all Territory families wherever they live.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016