26 Nov 1997 Ministerial Statement 4803 WEDNESDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 1997 restricted lifestyles through fear of crime. Initially, funds were provided on a non- recurrent basis for two years. In mid 1997, a review of the six projects was conducted by my Mr SPEAKER (Hon. N. J. Turner, Nicklin) department. The review found that some older read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. men have fears and concerns about crime similar to those of women. It also revealed that two years had not been an adequate period to PETITIONS establish the services. It recommended a The Clerk announced the receipt of the project time of three years to make them more following petitions— effective. Based on the findings, my department Sand Crabs has broadened the target group to include all older people, and I have approved more From Mr Carroll (1,991 petitioners) funding for the initiative, which has also been requesting the House to immediately restore expanded from six to seven areas across the the prohibition on commercial trawlers taking State. The regions to be targeted by the sand crabs legally in Queensland. project are Brisbane central inner suburbs, Cairns, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan City, Red Hill Police Station Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast. They have been chosen because of their population From Mrs Edmond (26 petitioners) of older people and their crime rate. requesting the House to call on the Government to, at least, retain the Red Hill This State Government is committed to Police Station property and return this to a fully maintaining and improving the Safe and operational police station. Confident Living Initiative. The increase in the number of services and the amount of funding represents our determination to help older TAFE Facility, Oxford Park people enjoy the best possible quality of life. It From Mr Welford (76 petitioners) is also part of an overall State Government requesting the House to (a) retain the approach to caring for the needs of all Brisbane Institute of TAFE's Horticultural and Queenslanders. Rural studies facility at Oxford Park in public ownership; (b) recognise the important value MINISTERIAL STATEMENT of this facility to the local area as well as the thousands of city-based students who have Police Recruits sought and will continue in the future to seek Hon. T. R. COOPER (Crows Nest— training in rural skills; (c) acknowledge the Minister for Police and Corrective Services and opportunities for expanding the role in Minister for Racing) (9.34 a.m.), by leave: community based horticulture and associated Eight hundred and fifty new police will begin training courses for the unemployed and other training at the Queensland Police Service community participants; and (d) reject any Academy's Oxley and Townsville campuses proposal to dispose of the facility simply to during 1998. Six hundred and twenty-one meet the debts of other TAFE institutes which officers are expected to graduate during the the Government has failed to ensure operate year, with another 229 who start their training within adequate budgets. towards the end of the year due for induction Petitions received. in early 1999. The coalition's three-year, $76m staffing MINISTERIAL STATEMENT plan is bearing fruit. Police strength in districts right across the State is being boosted. Last Safe and Confident Living Initiative financial year we produced 160 extra Hon. K. R. LINGARD (Beaudesert— police—more than Labor did in its final three Minister for Families, Youth and Community years in Government. But we have only just Care) (9.33 a.m.), by leave: Under this State started. The coalition plans to boost sworn Government, the Safe and Confident Living strength by 2,780 by 2005—double the Labor Initiative has been expanded to help more promise. The coalition will have put 285 new older Queenslanders overcome their fear of police on the beat in the six months to becoming victims of crime. In 1995, funds December. One hundred and forty-two police were made available to provide six services to will hit the streets in December after inductions work with older women who were living at Oxley and Townsville. Those graduations 4804 Ministerial Statement 26 Nov 1997 follow the induction of 108 new officers from underpinning the rehabilitation of prisoners to Oxley in August and the induction of 32 enable them to return to society with the rejoiners last month. Another 168 recruits—the capacity and desire to contribute to society, to biggest intake since 1991—went into training develop pride and self-confidence in each at Oxley early last month. This is good news prisoner, to provide prisoners with a full-time for towns and cities right across Queensland. vocational occupation and remuneration As we accelerate the training of sworn officers, during their time in jail, and to provide the so, too, are we accelerating the civilianisation commission with financial contributions to program, which frees up desk-bound police for compensate the State for its rehabilitation role operational duties. The coalition's program is and investment in the corrections system. The in stark contrast to the weary final Labor years, correctional centre contract specifications when police numbers actually slumped by 79 require 90% of prisoners to be engaged in between 1993 and 1995 as populations and approved programs or gainful employment. crime rates rose. Centres are yet to meet this requirement. The 168 police now at Oxley will graduate It is evident that many prisoners are not in May. They will be beaten onto the beat by engaged in productive employment or 37 rejoiners due to graduate in February. The programs and that idleness is an increasingly 147 recruits who go into Oxley in February will common phenomenon which poses significant graduate in August, and the same number management and security difficulties. A who start training in May complete their course number of reasons are likely to have in December next year. Another 40 rejoiners contributed to this situation, in particular are due out of the academy in June, a similar increased prisoner numbers and doubling number will graduate in October and the first up—caused by the woeful planning of the class of 1998 at Townsville will hit the streets in previous Government—inadequate industrial August. facilities for the prisoner numbers, absence of While more police will help in the fight overall vision and drive to require prisoners to against crime, it is equally important that we work a "normal" working day and a focus on focus on crime prevention. To this end, the profit-making industries at the expense of coalition will develop new strategies to occupational activities that teach valuable complement our groundbreaking community skills. policing partnerships which are being trialled Monthly reports from correctional centres across the State. identify a disturbingly large number of prisoners who are not involved in industries or programs. The percentage of Queensland MINISTERIAL STATEMENT prisoners employed in revenue-earning Prison Industries industries was below that of other States and down considerably on 1995-96. The previous Hon. T. R. COOPER (Crows Nest— Government conducted a number of reviews, Minister for Police and Corrective Services and but there was never any action. There have Minister for Racing) (9.37 a.m.), by leave: been a number of previous reviews. In 1989, When I walked into Boggo Road jail in 1987, I Touche Ross was commissioned to examine was disturbed by the aimless existence of the the role and direction of prison industries for inmates, particularly the mass of humanity the commission. In 1994, an internal review existing in the infamous Black Hole. The was undertaken to document the current inability of some prisoners to be involved in industries, to evaluate performance, to worthwhile industry has stuck in my mind since enumerate their strengths and weaknesses that day. and to identify opportunities. This review was I am happy to announce that the upgraded in 1995. A review of secure custody Queensland Corrective Services Commission conducted as a result of corporatisation board recently endorsed an initiative to identified the unrealised potential of industries develop a strategic focus on the role of and the existing poor performance. industries in the prison system to significantly I support fully significant development improve prisoner employment outcomes. and expansion of prison industries, which will Prison industries have three potential roles: only proceed after consultation with relevant providing a daily work occupation, enhancing industry, unions, the public sector and other revenue generation to reduce cost of stakeholder groups. The QCSC board will imprisonment and providing vocational establish a subcommittee comprising Sir Bruce training. Watson, Mr Colin White and Mr Ian Davies to The goals for the commission's industries report within three months with the following have historically been articulated as terms of reference— 26 Nov 1997 Ministerial Statement 4805 establish as a goal a core requirement Queensland raised a number of concerns that prisoners be required to work for about the third national HIV/AIDS strategy. In hours which, as far as practicable, mirror particular, the State Government was very the Australian community; concerned that the strategy did not provide for the development of viable, adequately address the potential spread of competitive industries while maximising HIV/AIDS from Papua New Guinea to prisoner involvement; communities in the Torres Strait and Cape York. The spread of HIV/AIDS through the develop a capacity within the correctional Torres Strait and Cape York has the potential environment for each prisoner to be to devastate Queensland's indigenous encouraged to develop good work habits communities. I have hosted a senior and skills; and representative from the Federal Department of develop an appropriate focus on outputs. Health to the Torres Strait to highlight the I am determined that this time the movement of Papua New Guinea nationals proposal will not fall through the cracks, as throughout the outer islanders of the Torres have previous reviews.