Page 1493 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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little demand for such a service in the ACT. Yet another example is railway squads. Some jurisdictions offer train patrols. An extensive train network system is not in place in the ACT. A further example is Aboriginal police liaison officers. Jurisdictions with large indigenous populations employ a significant number of liaison officers. For example, in Western Australia 125 such officers exist, whereas in the ACT there is less demand to dedicate large police resources in this area.
Then there are areas such as marine and water police. Most jurisdictions have a dedicated water police team to investigate marine crime and ensure the safety and security of coastlines and waterways. The ACT’s geographical position means the need for such a specialist service is also very limited. In fact, the water police that are here in the ACT are funded by the commonwealth, and even though the water police provide a service to citizens of the ACT, we are advised that we cannot count them as part of the policing services provided to the ACT because they are provided and paid for by the commonwealth.
And the same goes for something like the 45 to 50 full-time equivalent positions from ACT Policing that provide services to the commonwealth each year. They provide investigative and protective policing services to commonwealth agencies, but in effect they also provide those services to the citizens of the ACT, to visiting dignitaries and to tourists to the ACT. But, again, because they are paid for by the commonwealth, they are not counted as part of the ACT’s police numbers. This is an issue that is well worth reiterating and focusing on in understanding the figures in the ACT.
Mr Speaker, let us look at the issue of the ACT being, effectively, a city state. This characteristic significantly distinguishes the ACT’s community policing needs from that of all other jurisdictions. All of our population is within relatively easy reach of urban-based police patrols and stations. Police are not required to travel 60, 70 or even 100s of kilometres to attend call-outs. These are factors that affect policing needs in the ACT. Both distance and ease of travel to incidents, having one essential command structure, and centralised specialist squads, all point to the uniqueness of the ACT and, therefore, the formulator for calculating staff requirements cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.
The government is currently seriously considering further policing needs for the ACT and, indeed, we have always done so. Since coming to office we have provided funding for an additional 60 police positions, and that is not an unsubstantial increase. This Assembly is well aware that the government and the AFP have jointly completed a study that reviewed the policing needs of the ACT. That study has included a suite of elements to help determine need, recognising that the national average as a sole measure is an inadequate yardstick.
Mr Speaker, the Assembly is also well aware that the policing study is being used as the basis to negotiate a revised policing arrangement and annual agreement, as well as to help determine the policing needs generally for the ACT into the future. I have indicated previously—and I am happy to indicate again—that I am not going to release that study or any other draft or working documents ahead of the budget and until the budget and the negotiations themselves are finalised. That is only a sensible approach.
Similarly, the government has made its position clear on the issue of the functional review. The functional review is a matter that informs the budget and the budget will be
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