Page 2445 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 29 June 2005

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Ms Fagan started her policing career in 1981, where she worked in Canberra at the City police station before transferring to the fraud squad and then on to general crime investigations at Woden station. She also enjoyed a community policing post to Christmas Island. She is very well equipped to take on this role. She has also displayed a lot of enthusiasm for consulting and speaking with the Canberra community as she begins her new role.

In welcoming Audrey, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to outgoing Chief Police Officer, John Davies. Mr Davies has been the Chief Police Officer of ACT Policing since January 2004 and he is retiring after more than 30 years with the AFP. Canberra is one of the best and safest places in the country to live and work. This is, to a large extent, thanks to the excellent work done by ACT Policing and led by John Davies.

We saw the latest report card on crime from the Australian Bureau of Statistics just last week, which showed Canberra to be one of the safest cities in Australia. The Canberra community is currently reaping the rewards of our highly effective and efficient police force with significant drops in the level of crime in our city. Between January 2004 and April 2005 there has been a 13 per cent reduction in total offences reported in the ACT. This includes reductions of 41 per cent in reported burglary offences and 14 per cent in theft offences over the same period.

It is worth reflecting on the comments of AFP Commissioner Mick Kelty that Mr Davies was leaving ACT Policing in a very strong position, after forging close links with the community and delivering soundly on policing outcomes. Mr Kelty said:

During John’s term as Chief Police Officer we saw the continued success of Operation Halite which has significantly reduced the impact of offences like burglary, car theft and armed robbery on Canberra residents.

John Davies has overseen these outcomes and so it is with sincere thanks from the ACT community that he can enjoy his retirement. On 1 July we will see a significant change in policing in the ACT. It is with the support of the ACT government that incoming Chief Police Officer Audrey Fagan takes over. I know Ms MacDonald will share our delight that we now have, for the first time since self-government, a female Chief Police Officer. It is a fantastic thing for this territory.

Stromlo Village

DR FOSKEY: My question is to the Minister for Planning. Noting the government’s aim to achieve a “world class example of sustainable redevelopment” in the Stromlo settlement, could the minister please advise the Assembly of the energy efficiency and sustainability criteria against which tenders to design and build the settlement will be assessed and how architects and energy efficiency professions with a track record in environmentally sustainable design have been able to guide the process?

MR CORBELL: I thank Dr Foskey for the question. It is quite specific. I have to say that I am not, as minister, responsible for the detailed implementation of the tender process currently being undertaken by the LDA to assess the successful tenderer for the redevelopment of the Stromlo Village. The objectives of the government have been


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