Page 5073 - Week 17 - Wednesday, 12 December 1990
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Summernats evaluation of all those issues this year. I will stress that I believe that the economic equation needs to be included in that. I am sure that members of the Opposition will support the proposition that we look more analytically at whether we are getting value from the tourism point of view from this event. Mr Speaker, I trust that at Christmas we will be in a position to make those informed assessments. Although it is early days, I would be quite happy to include members opposite in any arrangement that looks jointly at where we are going on this.
In terms of police control, I can further advise that the police strategy will be an emphasis on community policing. The emphasis will be to encourage officers to exercise discretion. Police will be uniformed, of course. They will maintain a high visible presence through the use of numerous officers on foot mingling with the crowd, and through the use of mobile traffic patrols which in the past have generally managed the crowds so as to avoid large-scale incidents of unlawful behaviour.
As well, the AFP will focus on actions which cannot be ignored because of their seriousness or their potential to cause real harm or physical damage to persons or property. In that respect - through you, Mr Speaker, to Mr Wood - this practice of throwing buckets of oil on the road cannot be condoned. It is a matter that has been discussed between the police and Mr Duby's department which administers, to start with, the water pollution and other laws of the Territory, and normal laws to deal with the throwing of litter and the causing of dangerous nuisances and the rest. People who are inclined to do that are on notice that the mood of this Government and of this Assembly - if I interpret it correctly - is that we will not countenance that behaviour.
Mr Speaker, there have been joint meetings both interdepartmental and also with the organisers, and my colleague Mr Duby has outlined those in detail. The organisers have agreed to restrict the activities to the Natex ground, with the exception of the police controlled cruise down Northbourne Avenue. As members will recall, the problem in the past has been with unauthorised people tagging on to the procession. The AFP have previously requested that increased on-the-spot fines be introduced prior to the next Summernats, to provide a greater deterrent to would-be offenders. As you would be aware, this has been done, and I would envisage that the level of fines would also be an effective deterrent to would-be offenders, and at the least will return to us some of the costs of policing this event.
Mr Speaker, it is fair to say that some of the past criticism may have been avoided if the event had been better planned and managed. I will say that quite frankly to the Assembly. I am very pleased, then, to advise that those ongoing meetings between the AFP, Mr Duby's services,
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