Beachport Police Station

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Police. Is the minister aware that the seaside town of Beachport is currently without a police officer? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and the leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: It is my understanding that the Beachport Police Station has been closed since May. Constituents are concerned that the station will be unmanned during the busy summer season.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (14:40): I thank the member for MacKillop for his question. I can understand that police staffing is of principal concern to communities across South Australia. As I have articulated in information I previously provided to the house, sometimes that has been a challenge as South Australia Police have continued to increase their rates of recruitment during the course of the term of this government in order to catch up on the deficit that we found on coming to government in police numbers, in particular as it affects regional communities.

I want to reassure the member that the Beachport Police Station has not been closed but there has been an absence of staffing at times over periods of the last four months due to staff movements, including the taking of leave by officers who would otherwise be available for stationing at Beachport. Police have responded to that by issuing a process to receive applications for interested sworn officers to be located there. As the member knows, it is a pretty nice part of the world down in the South-East and we would hope that we have some success making sure we have adequate staffing to reassure the community that they have access to the policing resources they need to keep them safe in their community.