Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-27 Daily Xml

Contents

APY Lands, Policing

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:09): Supplementary: is the minister concerned about Mr King's and others' claims that there is no police presence and that their calls are diverted to Port Augusta, that they can't get police to go up there, and that there is a fear that people could be seriously injured? Has he contacted the police commissioner about boosting some presence in that community?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his question. As I have said, I specifically was talking to the police commissioner in the APY lands while I was on the APY lands last month. I have met over the last couple of decades many very good and very dedicated police officers who spend years in the APY lands in community. I know that there are many police officers who do a lot of work that is not just the reactionary work to incidents that occur but work with communities before those incidents occur.

As I have said, there is a permanent police station and police presence in the community of Mimili, which the honourable member referred to reports in. Certainly, I know from past experience that when there is unrest or difficulties in communities the police look to move officers around to make sure it is addressed as well as it can be.