‘Approved’ numbers don’t fill rosters: Fiona Simpson MP
RE/MAX Nambour Property Director Tristan Brown and Fiona Simpson front the media in the Town Square a fortnight ago.
In the Last edition (July 5) Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson joined Lowe Street businessman Tristan Brown in calling for acknowledgement of, and action on the issue of safety in the Town Square area. This edition, we asked Ms Simpson to further explain her concerns.
• What made you want to have a say in an electorate that isn’t your own?
“I grew up and went to school in Nambour and Yandina as my home towns so I care deeply about the area. I’ve been inundated by concerned residents and business owners in Nambour who are sick of living in fear and being ignored by their local MP. They are very unhappy that Rob Skelton is saying police have enough numbers and he isn’t listening. It is completely unacceptable to have drunk and drugged people hassling people on the streets with anti-social behaviour in broad-daylight. It’s still happening regularly and police aren’t resourced to get to the scene to deal with the issues in a timely way.”
• Do you think it’s the case that businesspeople are afraid to speak out? Have people told you that?
“Yes. I understand people who speak up can feel isolated and bullied and that’s not right. Let’s agree we all want to see Nambour thrive but covering up the problem won’t fix up the problem. The State Government are lying about the actual police resources on the ground and that needs to be called out, not covered up. Sometimes there are only a couple of general duties police officers on shifts in Nambour and other towns on the Coast so the Coast is being short-changed of actual police. When Mr Skelton says police have the resources it’s incredibly deceitful because “approved” numbers aren’t actual numbers and they don’t fill rosters. He’s not listening. We’ve got to back people who want more police on the ground so this community can be all it deserves to be.”
• You said last edition the Government was ‘fudging police (boots on the ground) numbers’. Can you expand on that?
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government needs to be open and transparent with the Nambour community about the true state of police resources. There are 72 fewer police in Queensland compared to September 2020, but the Palaszczuk Labor Government refuses to be open and honest. I understand there are sometimes only a handful of police on the ground per shift in the area.”
• You said people had given up reporting crime. How do you know?
“I’ve had a number of people tell me they’ve reported daylight crimes, and it can take up to an hour for a police response due to lack of police. Others have said they never got a response. I don’t blame police who are doing their best, I blame the State Government who are lying about the numbers of police available for rosters.”
• What should be done to alleviate business owners’ concerns regarding illegal behaviour in the Town Square?
“Nicklin MP Rob Skelton should start listening to people in the Town Square area rather than denying the problem and denying the need for more actual police.”
• According to police statistics, Noosa & Maroochydore have higher crime rates (as per police stats). Why then should Nambour people complain about crime?
“Nambour doesn’t have the significant influx of people for tourism, accommodation, shopping or a significant night-time precinct and it has a different retail offering to the denser coastal strip. But the crime in the community and on the streets is not acceptable. People have a right to be safe and feel safe.”