Public Works Committee: South Australia Police Barracks Relocation Project—City Staging

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:58): I move:

That the 53^rd report of the committee, entitled South Australia Police Barracks Relocation Project—City Staging, be noted.

South Australia Police (SAPOL) proposes to construct a city-based staging point for the Mounted Operations Unit and Dog Operations Unit on vacant government-owned land on the corner of Wright Street and King William Street, Adelaide.

The Mounted Operations Unit and Dog Operations Unit are currently located at the Thebarton Police Barracks and will be transferred to a purpose-built location at Gepps Cross to facilitate the new Women's and Children's Hospital development. To ensure the units can continue to respond in a timely manner, a central city staging area is required. This initiative will support the SAPOL Our Strategy 2030 Safer Communities by ensuring prompt and effective service delivery, maintaining a visible police presence in the community, reassuring the public and ensuring resources are deployed to emergencies and events when required.

The Mounted Operations Unit consists of 36 staff members and 32 horses, 16 of which are required to be ready for immediate operational and public order deployment. The unit is a valuable asset used in SAPOL's operational response to protests, rallies and major events in the Adelaide CBD to move and control people and crowds. The unit's four main functions are:

public order and crowd disorder;

patrol operations;

search and rescue; and

ceremonial.

The Mounted Operations Unit has an integral role of policing the Hindley Street entertainment precinct, and horses are regularly ridden to patrol a number of CBD areas. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.