David Fawcett (Wakefield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to talk about the number of people who come up and speak to me at the train stations and shopping centres, and the feedback through survey forms, about issues such as footpaths, crime, hoon driving, young lads on monkey bikes, graffiti, the condition of roads et cetera. I would have to say that a good 70 per cent of the issues that people raise with me are not actually issues to do with the federal government, but I see that we have two approaches: you can stand back and throw stones at the other organisation or you can roll up your sleeves and look at how you can work with people—individuals, community groups, businesses and other levels of government—to get outcomes.

I would like to commend some of the groups in Wakefield that have chosen to work with us and that I have been able to work with to get outcomes for the community in Wakefield. Some of the community groups that have recently joined with us to work on crime have taken the time and effort to get involved with the National Community Crime Prevention Program and apply for funding to actually help their groups to provide security for their individual organisations. There are groups such as the Balaklava Museum; the Eastern Park Soccer, Sports and Community Club; For You Inc.; the Freeling Tennis Club; the Gawler BMX Club; the Gawler Bowling Club; the Gawler Central Sporting Club; the Gawler Little Athletics Club; the Gawler Soccer and Sports Club; the German Club of Elizabeth; the Girl Guides of South Australia in Para Plains; the Greek Orthodox Parish of Salisbury; the Hamley Bridge Golf Club; the Lyndoch Tennis Club; the Mintaro-Manoora football and netball clubs; the Munno Para Bowling and Recreation Club; the Naval Association of Australia in Elizabeth and Salisbury; the Northside Christian Fellowship—which is now known as Salt Church; the Saddleworth District Community Association; the Scout Association in Gawler; the Scout Association in Riverton; the Tarlee Bowling Club; the Two Wells Golf Club; and the Watervale Community Association. All these groups, like many in our community, raise concerns around crime, but these groups choose to actually work with us and submit applications to do the work. They have now received funding under this program to address security issues—putting in things like better security systems, new security doors, fire and security lights, and CCTV systems to protect their properties and make their communities safer.

Businesses also are happy to get on board where we see a problem. In things like road infrastructure, companies like Balco in Balaklava have worked in partnership with us and the Wakefield Regional Council to put some $2 million into the Bowmans Interchange—a multimodal infrastructure project that is facilitating trade and regional development in that area. In particular, tonight I would like to commend the councils in the electorate of Wakefield. I work with the councils in a group called the Wakefield Group. We meet on a regular basis to discuss strategic needs for the area and see how we can best work together as an Australian government and local governments to get good outcomes for the community. We have had outcomes like that of last weekend, when I was very pleased to be able to join with the state government and the local government to open the newly sealed Hoskins Road. This need was raised when I had community meetings at Thomson Beach and at the Dublin institute with people who raised significant safety concerns about the condition of this road. It was a gravel road, but it was also very muddy and slippery when wet, and it is the sole point of access for that community. I am glad to say that through the Roads to Recovery program, the black spots program and money from the council, this road has now been sealed.

We have worked with the Light Regional Council on things like the upgrade to the Main North Road—we have put some $6 million into that—and the Kapunda-Marrabel Road, with an additional $3 million. They are providing good project management, along with the Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council, to make sure that we optimise the outcome of that money and get a good outcome for both those roads and other roads where they will be doing works. The Light Regional Council have also worked with us on things like Green Corps projects. We have had young people get good employment outcomes and training outcomes. Salisbury Council has worked with us, as well as other councils, on the Waterproofing Northern Adelaide project, where we invested a significant amount of money into recycling stormwater to reduce the demand on the Murray and save water. We put in $5 billion to upgrade West Avenue. Playford Council has worked with us on the National Community Crime Prevention Program and has received $497,000 to help young people avoid going into crime in the first place, through their Shop, Skate and Sing—Youth Outreach program. They have also worked with us where residents have identified things like hard rubbish collection. The elected members have done the hard yards to make that system come about. By identifying it, communicating and working together, we have had a good outcome.

There is more to do, though. Gawler is working with us, and other councils are still working with us, to address community facilities such as the Lynay Centre, a disability respite centre, roads, youth employment and business development opportunities to benefit the community of Wakefield. (Time expired)