Page 945 - Week 03 - Thursday, 14 March 1991
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POLICE SERVICES
Ministerial Statement and Paper
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General), by leave: Mr Speaker, on 25 July 1990 the Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs, Senator Michael Tate, and I signed an arrangement for the provision of police services in the ACT. Shortly thereafter I tabled the arrangement in the Assembly and noted that it provided for regular reviews of the goals, objectives and priorities and resource levels for policing in the ACT. The first review report was completed before 31 December 1990 and I will shortly table that document.
This first review was limited in its scope as the policing arrangement had been in effect for less than six months and there was insufficient time in which to assess adequately the operation of the arrangement. Accordingly, the report canvasses a range of issues for further consideration. These include performance indicators, consultation, access to information and reporting processes, financial reporting mechanisms, basis of costs, and major capital works requirements for the Australian Federal Police in the ACT region. I would welcome any comment on the report.
A further review is to be completed by 30 June 1991. The policing arrangement will then have been in operation for 12 months and we will have had the opportunity to assess its effectiveness. The review will aim to consider whether the policing service fulfils the requirements of the ACT Government and community, taking into consideration issues of consultative mechanisms, coordination, reporting and performance indicators. It will also aim to examine an appropriate funding base in the context of the ACT budget, to establish the basis of costs, and to assist in determining sustainable budgetary levels under the policing arrangement.
The review will be undertaken by a steering committee comprising SES level representatives of the ACT Government Law Office - who will chair it - the ACT Treasury, and the Australian Federal Police, ACT region. To assist the steering committee, a review team comprising senior officers from these agencies as well as the Chief Minister's Department has also been formed. There will also be extensive community consultation associated with the review process.
The Government has established a community policing advisory committee to assist in the 1991 review. In response to advertisements in the Canberra Times, nominations have been received from a wide cross-section of the community. The nominations are for persons rather than organisations, but I give the names of the organisations to indicate the representativeness of those nominees. The
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