Mr McADAM - 2004-08-26
A strong proactive community-based police presence helps deter crime in our streets. Can the minister advise of initiatives to increase police presence in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Yes, this is good news for the people of Alice Springs. I am sure you, Madam Speaker, will be very pleased to hear what I am about to announce. The horse patrols in the Darwin area are a powerful device in deterring crime in our community. Not only are they powerful in deterring crime, but they are certainly welcomed and received very enthusiastically by everybody who sees those horses out on patrol.
That is why we, as a government, built new stables for those police horses at the Peter McAulay Centre. The old stables were falling apart. The officer’s quarters where the mounted patrols are based was a demountable. It was falling apart, the roof leaked, and there had not been any money spent on accommodation for the horses or the staff for many years. We fixed that up, and I was very pleased to be at the Peter McAulay Centre with my colleague, the member for Karama who has a very keen interest in this area, to open the new stables and the new facilities a couple of months ago. Those horses do a great job around the CBD, the Mindil Beach Markets, the free beach and shopping centres like Karama. They do a fantastic job.
I am pleased to announce today that the police will be trialling a horse patrol in Alice Springs starting next month. This has been something that the Minister for Central Australia has been lobbying for, for many years. Commander Gary Manison has also been lobbying me for this for quite some time now. Those patrols will start next month. The trial will go for a six-month period and we will see mounted police patrolling the CBD, including the Todd River. It is going to be fabulous to see those mounted police and horses patrolling Alice Springs. It is something I am sure all members from Central Australia will be very pleased to see.
Ms Carney: Absolutely, on account of the crime.
Mr HENDERSON: Again, the member for Araluen does not have a positive bone in her body. Instead of applauding this and saying: ‘Great initiative, minister, well done’, she does not support it. She continues to mock Alice Springs.
This is a great effort; it is a great initiative. It will be well received by the people of Alice Springs. I commend Commander Gary Manison and all the Northern Territory Police for their work to date on this, and wish the officers and, of course, the horses who will be working on these patrols, the very best in fighting and deterring crime.
ANSWER
Yes, this is good news for the people of Alice Springs. I am sure you, Madam Speaker, will be very pleased to hear what I am about to announce. The horse patrols in the Darwin area are a powerful device in deterring crime in our community. Not only are they powerful in deterring crime, but they are certainly welcomed and received very enthusiastically by everybody who sees those horses out on patrol.
That is why we, as a government, built new stables for those police horses at the Peter McAulay Centre. The old stables were falling apart. The officer’s quarters where the mounted patrols are based was a demountable. It was falling apart, the roof leaked, and there had not been any money spent on accommodation for the horses or the staff for many years. We fixed that up, and I was very pleased to be at the Peter McAulay Centre with my colleague, the member for Karama who has a very keen interest in this area, to open the new stables and the new facilities a couple of months ago. Those horses do a great job around the CBD, the Mindil Beach Markets, the free beach and shopping centres like Karama. They do a fantastic job.
I am pleased to announce today that the police will be trialling a horse patrol in Alice Springs starting next month. This has been something that the Minister for Central Australia has been lobbying for, for many years. Commander Gary Manison has also been lobbying me for this for quite some time now. Those patrols will start next month. The trial will go for a six-month period and we will see mounted police patrolling the CBD, including the Todd River. It is going to be fabulous to see those mounted police and horses patrolling Alice Springs. It is something I am sure all members from Central Australia will be very pleased to see.
Ms Carney: Absolutely, on account of the crime.
Mr HENDERSON: Again, the member for Araluen does not have a positive bone in her body. Instead of applauding this and saying: ‘Great initiative, minister, well done’, she does not support it. She continues to mock Alice Springs.
This is a great effort; it is a great initiative. It will be well received by the people of Alice Springs. I commend Commander Gary Manison and all the Northern Territory Police for their work to date on this, and wish the officers and, of course, the horses who will be working on these patrols, the very best in fighting and deterring crime.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016