Ms WALKER - 2009-05-05
Can you please inform the House whether Budget 2009-10 will boost the capacity and capabilities of the police force?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. Budget 2009-10 further builds the capacity of our police force to tackle crime and make our suburbs safer across the Northern Territory. It delivers a budget of $279m to Police, Fire and Emergency Services, which is an increase of 104% from when we came to government in 2001. It will deliver more police on the beat, patrolling our suburbs and this need is well acknowledged by Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The member for Fong Lim might not want more police in our police service. They would go back, as they did when they were last in government, slashing police numbers ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I say to the Chief Minister that he may well want to direct a few of those police into my electorate because ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I say to the member for Fong Lim that there are 339 more police in our police force today than there were when we came to government in 2001, when the CLP had run down our police force. The fisheries police could not put a boat in the water to go out and police our fisheries. The police could not apprehend any criminals because they did not have enough police in the police force. We had a recruitment freeze for four years when not one police officer was recruited under previous CLP governments ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: Our commitment to our police force stands in contrast to the commitment of the CLP.
The Safer Streets initiative continues this year with a $5.1m allocation that will deliver a further 25 police officers dedicated to patrolling our suburbs. This is on top of the 35 additional last year. The 25 new positions to be delivered during 2009-10 will boost Palmerston police by 11 for a new 24/7 patrol in Palmerston. I was at Palmerston last week and met with police and talked to many business people. Alice Springs will receive an additional 10 police; an additional 24/7 patrol. Katherine will receive additional four police in the budget this year. The additional Safer Streets funding will also deliver 10 additional police auxiliaries to boost the resources of the joint Emergency Services Communications Centre to support the police on the front line.
In Budget 2009-10, we will continue to roll out our Police Beats, with $2.5m allocated to establish a Police Beat in Alice Springs and another two in Darwin. We know this is an initiative which would absolutely be under the guillotine of the CLP. They said they do not support the Police Beats; they think it is a waste of time and they would close them down. We know that the axe would fall on the Police Beat initiative that has reduced much of the antisocial behaviour and criminal activity in and around Casuarina shopping centre.
The police currently have a force of 1244 police. This is twice as many police per head of population than the Australian average. All of the work our police do is well regarded on this side of the House, whether it is Ngukurr or Numbulwar, in Central Australia at Mutitjulu, or over at Port Keats. In Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Gove they do a fantastic job on behalf of all Territorians.
There will be not only additional police, but additional equipment and infrastructure. The construction of the new Casuarina Police Station is nearly completed. When we came to government, I went through that police station. The roof was leaking; there were buckets on the floor. That was the type of infrastructure that we were bequeathed across the Northern Territory. Under the CLP the Casuarina Police Station was an absolute disgrace. It has been rebuilt and will open soon.
Budget 2009-10 also provides for $6m for a major upgrade of Alice Springs Police Station. It is not only a great result for the hard-working police officers in our expanded police force in Alice Springs, but $6m is a good contract for a local Alice Springs business to pick up. This budget is about protecting Territory jobs and that $6m in Alice Springs will go to protecting Territory construction jobs in Alice Springs.
There is $2m to convert the Numbulwar police post to a police station. I was at Numbulwar when the police post was opened - a fantastic facility. Again, not only great for our police, but $2m is a pretty good sized contract for a Territory company to pick up.
Madam Speaker, this budget provides for additional police to tackle crime and make our suburbs safer. Once again, it is a very clear demonstration of this government supporting Territorians in terms of community safety and supporting our police force.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. Budget 2009-10 further builds the capacity of our police force to tackle crime and make our suburbs safer across the Northern Territory. It delivers a budget of $279m to Police, Fire and Emergency Services, which is an increase of 104% from when we came to government in 2001. It will deliver more police on the beat, patrolling our suburbs and this need is well acknowledged by Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The member for Fong Lim might not want more police in our police service. They would go back, as they did when they were last in government, slashing police numbers ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I say to the Chief Minister that he may well want to direct a few of those police into my electorate because ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I say to the member for Fong Lim that there are 339 more police in our police force today than there were when we came to government in 2001, when the CLP had run down our police force. The fisheries police could not put a boat in the water to go out and police our fisheries. The police could not apprehend any criminals because they did not have enough police in the police force. We had a recruitment freeze for four years when not one police officer was recruited under previous CLP governments ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: Our commitment to our police force stands in contrast to the commitment of the CLP.
The Safer Streets initiative continues this year with a $5.1m allocation that will deliver a further 25 police officers dedicated to patrolling our suburbs. This is on top of the 35 additional last year. The 25 new positions to be delivered during 2009-10 will boost Palmerston police by 11 for a new 24/7 patrol in Palmerston. I was at Palmerston last week and met with police and talked to many business people. Alice Springs will receive an additional 10 police; an additional 24/7 patrol. Katherine will receive additional four police in the budget this year. The additional Safer Streets funding will also deliver 10 additional police auxiliaries to boost the resources of the joint Emergency Services Communications Centre to support the police on the front line.
In Budget 2009-10, we will continue to roll out our Police Beats, with $2.5m allocated to establish a Police Beat in Alice Springs and another two in Darwin. We know this is an initiative which would absolutely be under the guillotine of the CLP. They said they do not support the Police Beats; they think it is a waste of time and they would close them down. We know that the axe would fall on the Police Beat initiative that has reduced much of the antisocial behaviour and criminal activity in and around Casuarina shopping centre.
The police currently have a force of 1244 police. This is twice as many police per head of population than the Australian average. All of the work our police do is well regarded on this side of the House, whether it is Ngukurr or Numbulwar, in Central Australia at Mutitjulu, or over at Port Keats. In Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Gove they do a fantastic job on behalf of all Territorians.
There will be not only additional police, but additional equipment and infrastructure. The construction of the new Casuarina Police Station is nearly completed. When we came to government, I went through that police station. The roof was leaking; there were buckets on the floor. That was the type of infrastructure that we were bequeathed across the Northern Territory. Under the CLP the Casuarina Police Station was an absolute disgrace. It has been rebuilt and will open soon.
Budget 2009-10 also provides for $6m for a major upgrade of Alice Springs Police Station. It is not only a great result for the hard-working police officers in our expanded police force in Alice Springs, but $6m is a good contract for a local Alice Springs business to pick up. This budget is about protecting Territory jobs and that $6m in Alice Springs will go to protecting Territory construction jobs in Alice Springs.
There is $2m to convert the Numbulwar police post to a police station. I was at Numbulwar when the police post was opened - a fantastic facility. Again, not only great for our police, but $2m is a pretty good sized contract for a Territory company to pick up.
Madam Speaker, this budget provides for additional police to tackle crime and make our suburbs safer. Once again, it is a very clear demonstration of this government supporting Territorians in terms of community safety and supporting our police force.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016