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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-04-01 Daily Xml
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Whyalla Dry Zone

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government in this place questions on community safety in Whyalla.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: On 23 March, the Sunday Mail reported that the Whyalla dry zone, an area which includes Civic Park and the Westland Shopping Centre precinct, was 'out of control' with fights, shoplifting and verbal abuse. Due to a lack of police presence, young locals have formed a vigilante group to patrol the streets. The Sunday Mail reported:

One woman said her daughter was driving home from a shift at Dominos, stopped at traffic lights, when three men opened her car door, got in and robbed and assaulted her.

My questions to the minister are:

1. What is the government doing to address community safety in Whyalla?

2. What is the government doing to ensure appropriate safety resourcing within this town?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for her question. Firstly, I know that the South Australian police, led by police commissioner Grant Stevens, are always conscious of community safety right around South Australia, including in our regional centres like Whyalla, and focus their attention when matters are brought to their attention in terms of community safety.

In terms of Whyalla specifically, I am aware that the commissioner and SAPOL are turning their attention to whether a declared public precinct is applied for, if the evidence is there to support that, but I am also aware that the commissioner at CBS who is responsible for liquor licensing would also consider any applications in terms of liquor licensing laws that apply in some other regional centres.

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