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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3392 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

cooperation in crime prevention between States and Territories and the Commonwealth was tabled at the meeting, along with a paper on best practice in community crime prevention setting out national requirements for documenting examples of best practice in community crime prevention. States and Territories are also close to reaching agreement on the setting up of a national motor vehicle theft task force targeting principally the movement of stolen motor vehicle parts.

There is general agreement between the States and Territories that the primary responsibility for crime prevention lies with each State and Territory. We agree that the Commonwealth has a role to play in coordinating and funding best practice programs that provide models for States and Territories. Negotiations with the Commonwealth are being progressed by the South Australian Attorney-General, Mr Trevor Griffin, on behalf of the Lead Ministers, with a view to attaining endorsement and funding under the Federal Government's national campaign against violence and crime, for which funding was announced in the Federal budget.

At the meeting, a crime prevention compendium for Australian States and Territories was adopted and made available to the public. I commend this compendium to you, and I table it, Mr Speaker. The compendium lists initiatives and programs undertaken by State and Territory governments. It will be useful to a range of crime prevention practitioners as both a directory and a way of spreading ideas and information about community-based crime prevention. For example, it gives details of ACT programs such as the ACT community safety strategy, the country town policing trial, the designing out crime study, the Manuka and Civic community safety programs, the anti-graffiti strategy, and the Safety House and Neighbourhood Watch programs.

I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge not only the efforts of government agencies but also the efforts of businesses and community groups in crime prevention in the ACT. I would like to put on record the Government's appreciation of the commitment to community safety of Mr Ken Begg, who has recently resigned from the chair of the ACT Community Safety Committee. Ken was appointed to the chair in late 1993, and he has served with distinction in that role since that time. Under his founding chairmanship, the committee inquired into safety and crime problems of major concern to the community, bringing down two important reports, Civic by Night and Manuka by Night, which addressed problems associated with alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in late-night entertainment areas. In Mr Begg's stead, I have appointed Mr David Biles as chair of the committee and Mr Bill Harris as deputy chair. Mr Biles is a well-known criminologist and has held the position of deputy chair for the past year. Mr Harris is a past chief executive of the ACT Public Service and brings to the committee an understanding of the processes of government.

The ACT Community Safety Committee is currently working on two major projects, namely, an inquiry into alternative public transport options from late-night entertainment areas, and an inquiry into the safety and crime concerns of older people in our community. The Assembly is aware that in December last year this Government set in motion an enforcement and crime prevention strategy targeting the alcohol-related problems in Civic and Manuka. Police and liquor licensing personnel have intensified their efforts

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