Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today about what I am doing to address crime and antisocial behaviour in the Pilbara. Last week I hosted a crime forum in Port Hedland, along with my colleagues the Liberal candidate for the Pilbara, Mark Alchin, and the state agriculture minister, Mark Lewis. Drug and alcohol fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour has spiked in the town over the past couple of years and, regrettably, offenders are getting younger and younger and incidents are becoming more frequent. Two-Mile camp is a blight on Hedland, and several private residences are now drug havens.

Attendees at the forum provided a sound cross section of the community, with members outlining the depth of the town's crime problems. We cannot simply police our way out of this situation. The justice system has a role to play, as does as the liquor industry. In addition, I am pushing for all welfare recipients in the Pilbara region to be on the cashless welfare card which is making a positive impact on the communities in the East Kimberley and Ceduna.

I have discussed my concerns with the Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge, and I am planning a trip to the Pilbara with the minister so that he can witness firsthand the issues that the community is facing. With no changes, nothing changes. We must do something now.