Moonta Police Station

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about the Moonta police station.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: In the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, it was reported that Moonta residents are continuing their push for the town's police station to be reopened. The police station was closed in 2007, with police based in Kadina, 18 kilometres away, rostered for regular patrols of the area since 2014. The local community does not believe this is good enough. Residents of the local area, particularly Josie Welk and Jennifer Halse, are organising their second petition for 2016, with almost 1,000 signatures presented to parliament in March by my hardworking colleague Mr Steven Griffiths, member for Goyder in the other place.

Residents said, 'We want to see the police station reopened and a permanent officer stationed there.' With Moonta's population around 5,000 in non-peak periods and doubling up in holidays, a stronger police presence is needed to serve the community, as requested by the locals. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will the minister consider reopening the Moonta police station?

2. With strong community support calling for a permanent officer at Moonta, can the minister outline what the local community has to do in order for its voice to be heard?

3. What review process will the minister undertake to reopen the Moonta police station?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for her questions, although much of the premise of the questions is utterly flawed by virtue of the fact that it is not my decision nor should it be my decision to determine how operational police matters are determined in this state.

This is a matter that has come up repeatedly, I have to say, over the last few months and I suspect that it will continue to come up. However, I would encourage the honourable members opposite to start listening to the answers to those questions because it is not a decision of the government, it is not a decision for me as minister to determine what police stations are opened and what police stations are closed—that is a decision that is entirely within the prerogative of the police commissioner of South Australia.

We want the police commissioner to be making decisions on the basis of what is the most efficient and appropriate use of the very substantial resources that this state government has provided to him. We have provided the police commissioner with the largest police budget in the history of our state. We have provided the police commissioner with the largest police force that has ever been in existence in the history of South Australia. He has more resources than ever before, but we do not want the police commissioner just taking it for granted. We want to make sure that the police commissioner is able to allocate those resources in a way that is the most efficient and most productive when it comes to reducing crime in the state of South Australia.

Of course, the police commissioner has to take into account a whole range of variables in doing that. I think the police commissioner has a commitment to the regions in South Australia and the existing LSA model within the regions. I have every confidence that the police commissioner will take on board any public feedback that he is in receipt of.

If the honourable member is willing to share her petitions or her representations with me I am more than happy to pass them on to the police commissioner. However, it is important that the honourable member understands that when she asks the question, 'What will I do to open the police station?' that it is not my decision. It is not my decision; it is a decision of the police commissioner. If the honourable member has representations from the local community that in her assessment are genuine, heartfelt and worthy of consideration I will gladly pass them on to the police commissioner as soon as that information becomes available to me.