Police minister visits Warruwi

Local Police Sergeant Roger Ilett, Minister for Police Peter Chandler, Acting Commissioner Reece Kershaw and Warruwi Night Patrol Team Leader Jonah Walamaka meet at the Council office in Warruwi.

During a recent visit to Warruwi, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Peter Chandler has said Federal funds should be used to improve run-down, makeshift police stations set up during the 2007 intervention in the NT.

The Warruwi community welcomed the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services the Hon Peter Chandler to the shores of South Goulburn Island on Wednesday 28 January, as part of his visit to remote communities in the Top End.

West Arnhem Regional Council Services Manager Kupa Teao said he introduced Minister Chandler, who was accompanied by Acting Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, to Council’s Senior Administration Officer Mobie Wees and Assistant Administration Officer Relma Luta.

“I led the group into the Conference Room and introduced them to trainers and trainees doing the one-day White Card course,” Mr Teao said. “Minister Chandler spoke to everyone for a few minutes. One of several topics he covered was workplace safety. “They were then introduced to our Night Patrol Team Leader Jonah Walamaka, and I noted the minister was very interested in Jonah’s role, asking him a lot of questions about Night Patrol in the Warruwi Community. I then introduced them to the Northern Territory Emergency Services (NTES) Warruwi Team who looked smart in their NTES uniforms.”

Mr Chandler said he was visiting communities to see first-hand the infrastructure and police resource pressures under the current Stronger Futures Agreement.

“The Commonwealth set aside funding for new police stations as part of a Council of Australian Governments commitment to policing in regional areas,” Mr Chandler said. “I’m asking them to rethink that decision and put the money where it’s needed most.”

He said funding should be used to improve rundown, makeshift stations that remain as a legacy to the 2007 Federal intervention.

“To access Federal funding, NT police are required to physically have staff at these stations for 90 per cent of the time, regardless of whether there are community safety issues or not.”

Mr Chandler said he would like to see a model that allowed police resources to be directed at locations that had greater demand.

“These men and women put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe; they deserve much better than the substandard conditions they’re currently living with,” he said. 

Jonah Walamaka (centre) with Warruwi NTES officers Thalia Bohl-van den Boogaard, Mark Gavenlock, Jonah Walamaka, Mickey Yalbarr and Ida Waianga.