Rodney Stevens

Clarence Valley councillors have voted to unanimously support the Country Mayors Association of NSW in its calls for a parliamentary inquiry into crime in rural and regional areas, an increase in funding for police, a commitment to minimum staffing levels and a review of the current staffing model.

Calls for a parliamentary inquiry came after the Country Mayors Association (CMA) joined forces with the Police Association of NSW when they released the CMA report into Crime, Law, and Order in regional communities on October 19, 2023.

The CMA report also calls for bipartisan support from all NSW MP’s.

CMA Chairman, Mayor Jamie Chaffey said statistics showed residents of rural, regional, and remote New South Wales were more likely to be sexually assaulted, more likely to have their cars stolen, more likely to have their homes broken into and more likely to be impacted by domestic violence.

When these crimes did occur, the Police response was delayed due to the resources available.

“Up to 90 per-cent of crimes including vehicle theft, breaking and entering, sexual assault and domestic assault are happening here, in our regional communities,” Mayor Chaffey said.

“We also have significantly fewer Police than our city cousins, and as a whole, New South Wales has less Police per head of population than Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

“Our Police officers are already facing an incredible workload, with only one Police officer per 467 NSW residents.”

At the November 28 Clarence Valley Council meeting at Grafton chambers, Mayor Peter Johnstone moved a mayoral minute, which was unanimously supported by councillors:

That Council endorse the below recommendations listed in the Country Mayors Association of NSW report into Crime, Law and Order and make representations through Local State Parliamentary member Richie Williamson to commit to bipartisan support for:

1. The establishment of a Parliamentary Inquiry to report on the rate of crime in all categories reported on by the Bureau of Crime Statistical and Research (BOCSAR) in Regional, Rural and Remote New South Wales, specifically focussing on the inequity between Metro and Regional Local Government areas.
2. An increase in funding for the NSW police force to increase front line policing numbers in Regional, Rural and Remote regions most at need.
3. A commitment to the minimum staffing agreements (known in the NSW Police Force as First Response Agreements) for non-24-hour police stations (all of which are located in Regional, Rural and Remote Local Government areas); and
4. A review of the formula used to determine the staffing levels including the universally agreed outdated current model for those Local Government areas that do have a First Response Agreement in place.