Page 5067 - Week 17 - Wednesday, 12 December 1990
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Barton Highway. In the same area a number of enlarged "No camping" signs will be installed. Camping inspectors from my department will patrol Northbourne Avenue and the adjoining suburbs of Watson and Downer to prevent unauthorised camping in those areas, not only along the highway but also in the areas of the schools and ovals, et cetera, in those particular suburbs. I think the residents can be quite satisfied that unauthorised camping will not occur.
Mr Wood: How many inspectors?
MR DUBY: Two inspectors will be available on each of the four days from Thursday, 27 December, through to Sunday, 30 December. Those camping inspector patrols will operate until the early hours of each morning. Special traffic signs will be erected on the northern and southern approaches to that particular section of Northbourne Avenue, advising motorists of alternative routes to be taken to avoid delays.
When you look at all the measures that we are taking, namely, the measures of fencing, additional signposting and additional enforcement comprising coordination with the police, I am sure that the satisfactory management of Northbourne Avenue during this year's Summer National event will be well maintained. In addition, AFP members will be policing the event and they will be exercising discretion in relation to the laws that they enforce. To a large extent those decisions by the AFP officers will be based on their assessment of the situation at hand. The police will focus on actions which cannot be ignored, particularly because of their seriousness or their potential to cause real harm or physical danger to persons or property.
As I said earlier, the greater percentage of that sort of action is caused by, I guess you could say, a hoodlum element. They are attracted to that event and they often overindulge in alcohol. The police will be maintaining a high visible presence through the use of numerous officers - I do not have the numbers in front of me - on foot, mingling with the crowd, in addition to mobile traffic patrols. Police will thereby be generally managing the crowds so as to avoid large-scale incidents of unlawful behaviour. I believe that that selective enforcement, combined with the appropriate level of planning as demonstrated in my speech, is the most effective means of handling this sort of event.
People have also mentioned the "super drive", or whatever the phrase may be. Under AFP direction the organisers of the event have agreed to restrict activities to the Natex ground, with the exception of, of course, that police controlled cruise down Northbourne Avenue. The organisers and the police have come to a common figure in that the number of participants in that cruise is to be restricted
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