Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has used a visit to Young by Police Minister Yasmin Catley to once again highlight the need for a bi-partisan parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional crime.
Ms Cooke met with the Minister in her Young office, before they together joined local police for a tour of the Young Police Station, where the group discussed a range of issues specific to the Cootamundra electorate, including the need for additional police funding to address problems around infrastructure and staffing.
“I never miss a chance during parliamentary sitting weeks to invite the Minister to the electorate, so I’m certainly pleased to be able to welcome her to our part of the world, where she had the chance to tour both the Cootamundra and Young Police Stations,” Ms Cooke said.
“The Minister was receptive to the matters that I raised directly with her; she was grateful for the on-the-ground feedback that I was able to provide around matters such as the need for a new Police Station in Young, as well as the need for additional funding for police stations and accommodation right across the electorate.
“I used the meeting to again discuss the community’s concerns around police numbers, and the ongoing calls for 24-hour policing in some areas.
“I continued to urge the Minister to reconsider her position on a proposal put forward by the Country Mayors Association, for a parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional crime.
“An inquiry would give us a clear picture of the changing landscape around law and order, both in terms of police resources and criminal activity, and would provide a clear way forward on combatting these issues, which are not going to improve without a concerted effort to address the unique challenges facing police in rural and regional areas.
“At the end of the day, I left the Minister in no doubt about the need to ensure we have enough police on the ground – with the resources they need – to proactively address and deter criminal activity, and make rural areas a no-go-zone for potential wrongdoers.
“Our police do a wonderful job – day-in and day-out – looking after our communities, and I certainly let the Minister know how grateful we all are to them for their hard work.
“Policing it is not an easy task, and the officers of our four Police Districts – Riverina Police District, Hume Police District, Murrumbidgee Police District & Chifley Police District – go above and beyond, to protect us all.
“The Minister’s visit was a welcome opportunity to sit down and discuss at length the specific issues in our Cootamundra electorate, and I will continue to have ongoing conversations with her on these and other matters going forward,” she said.
Key issues raised during the meeting included:
- New Police Station for Young;
- Narrandera Police Station;
- Country Mayors Association’s proposal for a rural and regional crime inquiry;
- Potential implications for police resources following de-privatisation of the Junee Correctional Centre;
- The need for greater police presence in parts of the electorate;
- Calls for 24-hour policing in some areas;
- The need for police numbers to keep pace with population growth;
- Domestic violence case numbers, and the need for adequate support services;
- Matters regarding firearm licence delays/removals; and
- Stock theft across the electorate.
Photograph caption: Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke, with Police Minister Yasmin Catley, and (back from left) Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos APM, Inspector Adrian Matthews, and Superintendent Paul Condon.
