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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-16 Daily Xml
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Youth Gangs, Port Augusta

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:59): I seek leave to give a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General a question about youth gangs in Port Augusta.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: On the front page of The Advertiser today, under the headline 'Kid gangs run wild', there are reports of a couple living in a community on the outskirts of Port Augusta who have been broken into 15 times in the last 12 months, the latest last Friday at 3am in the morning. The human services minister is also quoted as saying it's a 'whole of community issue and requires a whole of community response'. She goes on further to say the government shared the community's concerns about negative issues regarding youth crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Port Augusta Mayor, Linley Shine, is also quoted that she had called for extra police resources in March but was not really aware if any more had been allocated to Port Augusta. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. How many of the Davenport community are under curfew as of today?

2. What is the curfew imposed on the Davenport community?

3. Are there any other restrictions, such as the selling of alcohol?

4. Does the Port Augusta Police Station have its full complement of officers?

5. Have more officers been appointed to the Port Augusta station since the mayor's call in early March?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for her question. As the honourable member points out, certainly there have been numerous government members in Port Augusta over recent weeks, led by the work that is being coordinated by the Department of Human Services and the Minister for Human Services, the member for Hurtle Vale, the Hon. Nat Cook.

I know the Minister for Human Services has spent a number of days, I believe last week, in Port Augusta meeting with dozens and dozens of community leaders, members from the Aboriginal community, the business sector, service providers and other community representatives all keen on working on long-term plans.

I know that there were a number of members of this chamber and the chamber in the other place who participated in that: the member for Stuart, the Hon. Geoff Brock; the member for Giles, Eddie Hughes; and I think from this place the Hon. Justin Hanson, who has a strong and long involvement in the Upper Spencer Gulf, particularly in the Port Augusta area. I think he spent time last week attending forums and listening to concerns and coming up with short and long-term solutions.

I know that police commissioner Grant Stevens, the chief executive of the Department of Human Services, and the head of the South Australian Housing Authority were all in attendance as well. I am informed that the group will return to Port Augusta next month. Some members of that group will return to Port Augusta to look at the issues that were raised and some solutions, and look at how to address the challenges and opportunities that are presented, including an intensive service strategy and actions and priorities for a multiyear plan.

I know from the work that has been done by this government, and from my own experience, that Port Augusta and the Davenport Aboriginal community are very keen to work collaboratively with each other, with service providers, with the community and with government to make sure there are solutions for the whole community, including young people in that area.

There is more than $150,000 in new state government funding, in addition to the $300,000 annual safety and wellbeing investment, in addition to last year's announced $1.2 million for helping to tackle some of these problems. I look forward to the work that this government continues to do to support members of the Port Augusta community generally.

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