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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-17 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: CHRISTIES BEACH POLICE COMPLEX

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (11:32): I move:

That the 322nd report of the committee, on the Christies Beach Police Complex Upgrade, be noted.

This project will undertake the third stage of major accommodation improvements to the Christies Beach police complex. It comprises a two-storey extension to the rear of the main building, removal of transportable buildings and provision of secure car parking in Bligh Street. In summary, the project includes:

modifications to the cell complex to improve prisoner management and occupational health and safety concerns;

new administrative accommodation for criminal justice, family violence unit and community programs;

training and zone emergency centre facilities;

an exercise room;

a new property store;

a limited refit of work stations and offices to integrate the extension into the main complex;

demolition and removal of a transportable building in Bligh Street; and

construction of a secure car park in Bligh Street to accommodate 49 vehicles.

The project aims to relocate staff from a temporary building to the main complex, accommodate additional police officers from the R400 program, provide specialist training and zone emergency centre facilities, upgrade facilities within the cell complex and provide additional secure car parking.

A pre-tender estimate of the project capital cost is $6.473 million. We received correspondence to say that a public tender for the Christies Beach major upgrade project was called in February 2009 and that the selection process was completed in April 2009. SAPOL is currently awaiting DTEI ministerial approval to appoint the successful builder. Works are expected to commence on site in June 2009, with completion in June 2010. SAPOL will be responsible for the operating costs of these facilities. Ongoing facilities management expenditure will be met from within SAPOL's existing budget.

So, based upon the evidence presented to it, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:35): The opposition members on the committee were pleased to support this project and, indeed, it has been a long time coming. I pass the Christies Beach Police Station two or three times a week (depending on which the way the Southern Expressway is going), and I have been waiting with bated breath to see a bit of action down there but that has not happened yet.

It is fair to say that one of the major issues in the southern suburbs is criminal activity and the rate of crime and, in another role, I spend quite a bit of time talking to people in the south and pick up their concerns about what is and is not happening. Anything we can do to assist the South Australian police force to carry out its job more effectively and efficiently—and, indeed, to have better facilities to go about their tasks—we are pleased to support.

It was one of those things about which there was not a great deal of argument, if any. We just wanted to get on with the job and get it done. The conditions in some areas are fairly antiquated. I know a number of police officers who work out of Christies Beach, and it is fair to say that they look forward to the improved facilities. The change to the operations of SAPOL in South Australia and the fact that Christies Beach will no longer be running the south throughout the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island will be interesting. It is important that our police force has the best facilities possible, and the Public Works Committee will be reporting shortly on the changes to the Fort Largs Police Academy, which it visited just recently, and that is another step in the right direction.

I would say, however, that concerns are being raised with me by members of the police force (and I heard them again this morning) that we have additional police coming from the United Kingdom. Police officers have spoken to me and said that they are really concerned because there seems to be a fairly high attrition rate: once they have been here for a while, they fall out and drop into something else. Indeed, I question whether it is not a means to an end. You can come to Australia and transfer to the South Australia Police and then move onto something else. I think we need to watch quite carefully the fallout rate from United Kingdom police officers coming here. We need to do a bit of homework on that and watch it. So, the opposition supports the Christies Beach upgrade and looks forward to its being completed.

Mr PISONI (Unley) (11:38): Obviously, we are very keen to support the work at the Christies Beach Police Station. This came to the committee last year, just before Christmas. Since then, we have heard of a number of moves within the department to adjust the hours of some of our suburban shopfront police stations. I do not know whether that has come from the minister or elsewhere. I know there is a lot of concern about my local station in the Malvern 7 Day Centre in Unley where, currently, they are working hours from about 9am to 7pm, and that is a cut in hours from when the finishing time was 11pm a couple of years or so ago.

Now there are some concerns that those hours may be further reduced to simply business hours, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. That is a big concern to residents and business owners. Members would be aware that the electorate of Unley has a big chunk of the state's strip shopping from Goodwood Road through to Unley Road, King William Road, Fullarton Road, Glen Osmond Road and Portrush Road. A lot of business happens within the electorate of Unley, and, inevitably, when you are in business, you are in contact with police, whether that be through shoplifting, a break-in or some other event, for instance, being on a busy road like Unley Road, you might be a witness to an accident. Therefore, having easy access to a police station to report these types of things is very important. Of course, business people work 9 to 5, so having a police station that is only open from 9 to 5 will make it very difficult to make a personal visit.

Something else which we will lose in Unley is that personal policing, where the police do become part of the community and, consequently, they understand what the community wants, what works in the community and what happens around the community. They know who they can talk to if they need some information. I think we are losing that in our community police stations. It is a very valuable tool, because sometimes you do not need the heavy hand of the law to fix the situation. A visit from the friendly neighbourhood policeman can often sort out a situation. It gets a satisfactory result for the victim and the alleged perpetrator gets a lesson in being a member of society, if you like, and what their responsibilities are. It is concerning that there appears to be a threat to some of our shopfronts in the suburbs, and, of course—

Ms CICCARELLO: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is about the Christies Beach Police Station. This is a rambling debate about Unley. It has nothing to do with Unley: it is about Christies Beach. I would ask you bring the member back to the topic.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Unley, the subject is the Christies Beach police complex, so issues relating to that matter are appropriate.

Mr PISONI: Of course, in Unley, we would hate to be in a situation where we would be relying on police stations as far away as Christies Beach to attend to or report incidents that happen in our area. I am pleased to see that the people of Christies Beach have received an upgrade to their police station, but I point out that it has come at a cost. The cost appears to be what is happening at police stations at Unley, McLaren Vale and elsewhere, where we are seeing cuts to police services.

Motion carried.

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