The NSW Opposition is calling for the Parliamentary inquiry into community safety in regional and rural communities to be expanded, as the second round of hearings gets underway this week.
The committee will hear from locals in Kempsey on the mid north coast tomorrow, after hosting meetings in Coffs Harbour today.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said it is a good start but raised questions around why so little time was spent in Coffs.
“Our communities have been calling for this inquiry for a long time and we need to make sure the committee is hearing from as many people in as many regional communities as possible,” Mr Saunders said.
“We know the inquiry started in far western NSW earlier this month, where police, Government and non-Government agencies spoke about the lack of resources and after-hours support for kids in Bourke and Broken Hill who in some cases don’t have a safe home to go to.
“That insight is invaluable, and I think it is a bit of a missed opportunity that we didn’t get the same out of Coffs Harbour today, because every community is different and will need slightly different approaches to address this crisis.”
Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh welcomed the visit but also expressed his disappointment.
“The whole point of this inquiry is so people in each community have a chance to share their stories and are able to contribute their ideas for solutions that are tailored to them,” Mr Singh said.
“I am pleased the committee came to Coffs, but it is a little disheartening it didn’t spend the entire day here to talk to police, council, victims of crime, and other community groups about the rising rates of youth crime in our region.
“Although this visit is a step in the right direction, I would like the committee to come back to Coffs to hold a proper hearing in the near future.”
The Minns Labor Government finally announced the long overdue inquiry into the escalating youth crime crisis in March, after sustained pressure by the Coalition.
