APY Lands

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:15): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, representing the Minister for Police in the other place, a question about community constables on APY lands in the state's Far North.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Community constables play a vital role on the APY lands, working closely with sworn police officers to maintain community law and order by utilising their Indigenous language and cultural understanding, usually in high-charged environments, and filling an important gap when police officers are not available. I am advised it is not a popular or indeed easy role to fulfil due to the work involved and the restrictive entry criteria of no criminal record and the need to have a full driver's licence. This is, I am advised, one of the issues that needs to be addressed in terms of looking more closely to improve employment pathways for Indigenous people, as someone interested in applying to become a community constable may be knocked back because they committed an offence as a youth and/or the offending was minor.

That said, these community constables are in a high status role, respected by the community, but one that involves managing possible conflicts of interest with their communities and SAPOL and cultural authority complexities. I am therefore concerned by recent media reports that reveal only four of the10 full-time community constable roles are currently filled despite the fact that 10 full-time positions, paying upwards of $57,000 a year, have been available in the APY lands since 1986. My questions to the minister are:

1. How long have these reported six community constable positions been vacant?

2. What is the government doing in terms of an active recruitment strategy to fill the positions?

3. Will the government look at the suggestion of reducing the stringent entry criteria to improve employment pathways for Indigenous individuals?

4. How often are sworn police officers visiting areas of the APY lands that don't have community constables?

5. How many Indigenous people are currently in training as community constables and how many Indigenous people are currently in training as fully sworn SAPOL officers?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for her questions. I undertake to refer them to the Minister for Police in another place and bring back an answer for her.