Friday, 15 March 2024
Subjects: The need for a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into regional crime; the Lions Eye Health Program; the Off the Beaten Track art trail.
E&OE…
Rich Spence: I welcome to the phone, the Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke. Good morning, Steph.
Steph Cooke: Good morning, Rich. It's great to be with you and your listeners this morning. And can I just start by saying that a couple of weeks ago, I was at the Boorowa Show, and I was in the pavilion and people were commenting about how much they enjoy our segment. I didn't have the opportunity off-air to let you know that, but I thought I would do so now and take this as an opportunity to thank everyone that listens to your show more broadly – thank you for what you do – and say good morning to everyone back home because I'm coming to you from Parliament House this morning.
Rich Spence: You are indeed. And thank you so much, Steph, for your kind words. And it's not a program without the listeners, so I'm glad they get something out of it. Now, we'll start with the serious issues. Firstly, the inquiry or the need for an inquiry into regional crime and the need for a new police station in Young, and a 24/7 police station in Cowra.
In our local news, Minister for Police Yasmin Catley has stated that there's been $26 million allocated to address rural crime issues, but that's only allocated to a certain part of the state.
Steph Cooke: Look, it's a good first step in relation to the announcement of the little over $26 million to start to look at issues in certain communities around New South Wales. And enough has been said, I think, about that community in particular. But the point I would make is that the issues faced by certain communities in the northern part of the state are issues that are actually being faced in communities right across New South Wales. So, the close to $26 million is a good first step; more than half of it is going to just one community. And of course, we've got issues north, south, east, and west in regional and rural areas of New South Wales. And the government needs to do more, quite frankly.
I think the other interesting part about this announcement is that a lot of what the announcement involves is around trial programs. These trial programs will be reassessed at the end of 12 months. And in that time, we could have already conducted an inquiry, had the feedback from the communities, had recommendations to be considering, and being able to get on with the job of implementing real, actionable things in our communities to really see a change in this space.
As you know, and I'm so grateful to 2LF, we have been calling for this bipartisan parliamentary inquiry since October of last year. So we're already six months down the path. The government this week has come out with this announcement. It is a good first step. I'm certainly not going to criticise it from that perspective – anything is better than nothing – but the issue is bigger than just in one community. And an inquiry will shine a light on all of these matters; we've already lost six months, and the need for the inquiry still remains. That's the bottom line.
Rich Spence: It certainly does. And included in the inquiry will be the desperate need to boost police numbers in rural communities. While regional police do a tremendous job with the limited resources they have, boosting numbers is one thing, but it can make a little difference when the courts continue to undo all the great work that police do by releasing offenders on bail, many for a second and third time. And so often, they go on to re-offend.
Steph Cooke: You make very, very valid points. And these issues are being raised by our communities, highlighted through the media on a daily basis. And our police officers, they are doing a magnificent job with, in a lot of cases, very limited resources. And as we know, they are expected to cover vast geographical areas, particularly in an electorate like ours. We have 28 police stations; most of them are one or two-officer stations, and none of them have the doors open 24/7.
And I'm so glad that you mentioned Cowra in amongst that. This is an issue that I've been asking to be addressed for years now. And there has never been a greater need for us to have a station, like Cowra, that's got doors open 24/7 for people to be able to walk through those front doors and speak to somebody that can help them with a situation that they have faced or are facing in this space.
But there are other issues that you've also highlighted, Rich. And on that basis, it's quite simple: the bottom line is that nothing short of a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry will properly address this issue and get to the bottom of what's causing this antisocial behaviour and the measures that we need to put in place to combat the problem.
Rich Spence: And I think some of the problem with the bail laws or the magistrates letting people out on bail is there's too much influence, I think, from bleeding hearts wanting to raise the age of criminal responsibility; advocating too much for the rights of offenders and not enough on victims.
Victims are often traumatised by home invasions, stolen cars, robberies in the community, and they're simply seeking justice that is just fair and proportionate, but they go unheard.
Steph Cooke: When it comes to victims of these crimes, as you say, it has a traumatic effect on people. It is not just about what happens during the incident and in the immediate aftermath. People can be, and understandably so, traumatised for a lengthy period of time thereafter.
We've got elderly people in communities across New South Wales who are worried about leaving their homes, particularly at certain hours of the day or night. And this is why a parliamentary inquiry is so important because it's an opportunity for victims of crime to come forward and share their experiences. It's an opportunity for other organisations that are trying to do good work in our communities, but do not receive the required level of funding to do the best job that they can, to share their experiences. It's an opportunity for us to have a look at policing operations, such as the need for 24/7 police stations in various locations around New South Wales.
We've talked about Cowra this morning, but there are other areas of New South Wales that are also calling for a 24/7 policing presence in terms of having that police station open all of the time. It's an opportunity for us to have a look at the police infrastructure and the state of that around rural and regional areas of New South Wales.
Take for example the police station in Young. They are operating amidst really difficult circumstances with the infrastructure in place there. We've got half the officers working on one side of the street, half working on the other. They're all crammed in there like sardines; it's just simply not good enough. And that's why, in the lead up to the last election, just 12 months ago, I gave a commitment to the community of Hilltops that we would see a new $19 million police station in Young, should we be returned to government.
Now that didn't transpire, but the need for a new police station in Young still stands; this issue hasn't been addressed. And I'm pleased that the Police Minister came to the electorate; she has stood in that police station in Young. She has seen firsthand the magnificent work that our officers are doing in Young and the surrounding stations and those areas that they cover, but also, the constraints of that particular building, and the way that it works. And she has seen the need firsthand for a new police station. And I will continue to do my best to work with the government to see this project delivered.
Rich Spence: Yeah, we certainly need that new police station quite desperately in Young. Before we move on from this topic about the crime, there seems to be an increasing number of youth offenders. And I've said on this program before that kids over the past couple of decades mature much quicker than when we grew up. And the access to questionable information on the Internet and through social media exacerbates the problems we see today. And raising age of criminal responsibility, I've said before, I can only see it encourages youth to commit these crimes and also encourages, probably, nefarious adults to recruit these teenagers and preteens to do things for them.
Steph Cooke: There's no doubt that times have changed substantially from when we were growing up, Rich. There's no question of that. And our young people face all sorts of challenges in this day and age, and it's difficult. And we do have that influence of social media on all of our kids. And that's why we want to have this parliamentary inquiry. We want it to be bipartisan.
We want everyone to come together and acknowledge that we have a problem in our communities, in rural and regional areas, and nothing short of an inquiry that looks at a wide range of issues and really does try to get to the bottom of why a lot of these things are occurring, and how we can do things better, what other services are required in our communities, how we can better wrap around our young people so they don't find themselves going down this path, and a trajectory in life that is not good for them, will do. I think we can do better in this space.
And we've seen before where parliamentary inquiries have genuinely done really good work. And I think the regional health inquiry is a great example. And we now have regular reporting back on those recommendations coming out of that inquiry. So I don't think there's anything or any reason why we shouldn't or couldn't have a parliamentary inquiry that will provide us with good recommendations, as to how we can do things better in this space going forward.
Rich Spence: Yes, we definitely need that regional crime inquiry, and we need it now. Let's move on. I saw a picture of you on Facebook, a 3-year-old Steph Cooke with glasses on, which leads us to the Lions Club Eye Vision program. Tell us about that?
Steph Cooke: The Lions Eye Health Program is a fantastic initiative, and I'm encouraging all schools across the Cootamundra electorate to get involved in this program. It's effectively an early screening program for students, particularly primary school students. It's free, and there's an opportunity here to detect vision problems really early on. I've been wearing glasses effectively since I was three years old. And look, I'm not sure how things perhaps would've worked out for me had I not had such an early diagnosis with the vision challenges that I faced. And so from my perspective, it was a no-brainer to back in this program.
I'd really like to take the opportunity to thank deeply the Lions Club members who are giving their all to this program. They are volunteers in our communities, and they are happy to go out to any school. All the schools have to do, is reach out to the Lions Club or reach out to my office; it's not a problem. We will connect you with the Lions Club. They will come out to you, and they’ve got some specialised equipment that they test the children’s vision with.
It's a free test, and it helps to identify some vision problems that can then be referred to a qualified optometrist for further investigation. So it's not the Lions Club that are, I guess, diagnosing eye conditions, but it is an opportunity for parents through the schools to have their children tested. And if something isn't quite right, then they can go off and have some further tests done. If they've got those vision problems, they can be picked up nice and early, allowing the child to have those issues dealt with.
Rich Spence: It's a terrific initiative, and it's always important to look after our eye health throughout our lifetime, which brings me to Seniors Week. Our eyes deteriorate, and we have to get glasses. I've got reading glasses for the last few years at least, but there was some great local achievement awards for the seniors.
Steph Cooke: It's always great when we get to the Seniors Festival each year. And we've seen 24 residents of the Cootamundra electorate recognised this year with local achievement awards for their contribution to our local communities. I mean, where would we be without them? They just give so much, and most of them are volunteers in our communities. Many of them are volunteers with more than just one organisation; they wear multiple hats, and once a year, I think it's important that we recognise them for their contribution, as well as recognising more broadly our seniors in every community for what they're doing. At a personal level, they bring wisdom and experience and vitality to our communities, and we are very grateful for having them.
Rich Spence: Most certainly. And a fundraiser today, it's happening Row with Roy, raising funds for MND research Australia. And you are going to participate this evening once you get back into town?
Steph Cooke: Yes, I will be. I'll be making my way from Sydney back to the gym this evening. Roy is doing a fantastic job to raise money for MND research. It's a fantastic initiative, and one that was very easy for me to support. Over the years, I've ridden a bike from Ungarie to Ariah Park a couple of times; that's 100 kilometres in support of MND research. I've also participated in an ice bath challenge in the middle of winter in Coolamon; that's an experience I will never forget. So Rowing with Roy is a very, very worthy cause.
Roy is still taking donations for those people that might be listening this morning, and want to make a contribution in this space. MND is a terrible, terrible disease, and impacting not just the people who have this disease, but the people around them, who are trying to support them. So anything that we can do to see us come up with better treatments, and ultimately a cure for this disease, I think, is very worthy of supporting. If people would like to support Roy in what he's doing, they can either look for his details, or reach out to my office, and we'll be able to provide you with the donation details.
Rich Spence: And you'll be taking to the treadmill. You're not long off crutches as well, so it'll be a great recovery for you.
Steph Cooke: I'm looking forward to it, Rich. The last six months have been a bit tricky for me, recovering from that fractured pelvis I got when I was training for a marathon just six months ago. So I'm under strict orders at this point in time to take it easy, but have been given the all clear to jump on the treadmill, and be part of this fantastic fundraiser.
Rich Spence: Yeah, it sounds terrific. Just a couple of minutes to go, moving on to the Hilltops Off the Beaten Track art and cultural trail.
Steph Cooke: Isn't this another fantastic initiative? And so many volunteers are involved and thank goodness they're there, and they're able to bring us what is a fantastic art festival. It goes for 11 days. We're right in the middle of it at the moment. I had the opportunity this week to mention Off the Beaten Track on the floor of the Parliament through a Community Recognition Statement.
I'd encourage everyone to come out and support the art trail, and support our volunteers, and everyone who's worked so hard to make this event happen. It really is a showcase of the incredible artists and artisans that we have right across the Hilltops region. We've got over 40 galleries, workshops, markets, garden studios, exhibitions. I mean, it's absolutely fantastic. And thank you so much to the organisers, and of course to the sponsors, the Community Bank in Boorowa, the Young Arts Society of Artists, the Hilltops Council, of course; these are all organisations that have come together to make this event possible, and I'd encourage everyone locally to come out and support it.
Rich Spence: For sure. All right, well thanks a lot for your time, Steph. We're out of time. It's never enough, but we'll catch up with you again in a few weeks’ time.
Steph Cooke: That sounds great. Thanks so much, Rich.