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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-11 Daily Xml
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HALLETT COVE POLICE STATION

Ms FOX (Bright) (15:48): Before I begin to speak on the subject I had chosen, I would also like to pay tribute to the member for Frome and his outstanding service to this place. Ever since I have been here, he has been extremely friendly and very kind, and he is always courteous. He is well loved by South Australians from both sides of politics and I wish him all the very best in whatever he chooses to do next.

When I was preselected as a candidate for the seat of Bright some 18 months before the 2006 election, I had to listen extremely carefully to what residents were telling me about their needs in local areas, as opposed to what previous governments had decided they did or did not need. One of the issues that arose time and again in Hallett Cove was the residents' desire for a permanent police presence in their area, but establishing that police presence was contingent on a number of other hinge factors: the construction of a large new road crossing Lonsdale Highway which connected Hallett Cove, Trott Park and Sheidow Park, and the subsequent redevelopment of the Hallett Cove shopping centre, which would have a suitable space for a police presence.

As a Labor candidate, I lobbied Premier Mike Rann and minister Conlon mercilessly for months about funding that road. I knew that, unless the state government contributed over $5 million to that road, it would never be built; redevelopment of the shopping centre would only happen if the road was built; and a police station would only happen if the shopping centre was redeveloped.

In early 2006 the Premier personally approved funding for the road, for which I and the community are very grateful. The Premier has visited Hallett Cove with me on many occasions now and, even back then, he saw very quickly that this vibrant, growing community needed a serious injection of funds into key infrastructure.

I am happy to inform the house that two weeks ago the Hallett Cove Police Shopfront opened for business on the southern side of the shopping centre adjacent to the new connector road, which I believe will be called Patpa Road. Police minister Michael Wright came to open the station, with Chief Inspector Les Buckley, and it was great to see a number of police dropping by just to check out the new facility.

The police shopfront is operated by police who live locally, which I think is an outstanding decision on behalf of police administration. Nothing can replace local knowledge. It is a wonderful thing to know there are police officers out there who live locally, know local kids and local families, and are prepared to develop wonderful relationships with the community. The police presence there will, hopefully, reduce crime and, even more importantly, should build relationships between police and the local community. Locals will be able to report traffic crashes, crimes and other incidents, apply for police clearance certificates, and seek advice on crime prevention and other matters at the new facility.

I should state that crime figures in the area have recently fallen, which is good news. In 2006-07, total crimes reported in the Hallett Cove area were at 980. In 2007-08 they fell to 953, with a significant fall in robberies, criminal trespass and the illegal use of motor vehicles—a significant decrease in illegal use of motor vehicles.

That is not the end of it for the people in Hallett Cove, I might add. The Rann government has recently allocated $6 million towards expanding the Christies Beach Police Station, with construction due to start shortly.

I made two promises to this community, Mr Speaker. One was that I would make sure the connector road was funded and built. The other was that a permanent police facility would be established in Hallett Cove. I am privileged to have worked hard with community members to achieve these two goals, and I look forward to an even better, safer future for the residents of Hallett Cove.

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