By AIDAN KNIGHT
LATROBE City Council put to bed its most contentious issue of the year, with a unanimous decision on how to progress localised crime prevention within the municipality at last month’s council meeting.
During the sitting of the November, 24 meeting, a motion was passed on the CBD Community Outreach Program.
Originally called the Community Connectors Program, the proposal had been deferred three times in the nine months it had been the topic of disagreement within council chambers, and led to the first (rather passionate) Star Wars reference spoken in the history of Kernot Hall, at the September meeting (see the Express October 1 issue). Moved this final time by Yallourn Ward Councillor Steph Morgan, the wielder of the aforementioned pop culture quote, and seconded by Morwell River Ward’s Cr Tracie Lund, Cr Morgan opened strongly on her staunch defence of the program, telling her colleagues that “Police are not a social service”.
After previous meetings had seen tensions rise between Cr Morgan and fellow councillor, Cr Sharon Gibson (Newborough Ward/then Deputy Mayor, now Mayor), who saw it more effective to wait for police advice pending a visit from Minister for Police Anthony Carbines, the tone in the chamber shifted significantly when Cr Gibson and previously opposing councillors ultimately supported the program.
“This aligns very well with our council plan,” she said, “where we outlined community safety as a priority.
“Anyone who attended the Victoria Police Community safety forum (held at Kernot Hall the week before) would know, the police cannot be everywhere at once.
“It’s really important that we, as council, implement a Community Outreach Program that brings together social services, health services to create a community-focused response to feelings of safety and lack thereof in our community. We need to ensure we’re supporting people, but also freeing up police resources so they’re not spending their time doing someone else’s job.”
Cr Morgan argued it was up to local government to do something, and promptly, as “now is the time to get on top of it and make a decisive decision.”
“The community deserves to feel safe walking down the street and operating their businesses,” she went on to say.
After Cr Lund reserved, Cr Gibson spoke for the motion for the first time, apologetic in her opposition to being proactive while the Minister’s visit was still not even a definite promise.
“I’m sorry it’s taken so long – in good faith we were told a meeting would happen,” she said, even though Latrobe City Chief Executive Steve Piasente had previously clarified that Minister Carbines said he would be interested in visiting Latrobe, but had made no firm commitment.
“This has been in front of us a few times, and we need to be really honest about how we got here,” Cr Lund said openly.
“Meanwhile, our community hasn’t stopped raising concerns, and we’ve heard from some of our residents tonight about exactly that, referencing three public speakers who implored council to finally pass the motion
The first of these was Linda Reid of Churchill, who found it pleasing to see many councillors at the policing forum the week before, but “what was not pleasing was the data produced”,
“Crime, domestic and family violence in Morwell was extremely concerning – basically the worst in the country.”
Ms Reid saw it even more alarming that amid this, cuts to the Latrobe Health Assembly meant that programs were either halted or unable to get off the ground to begin with, programs designed to offset these issues in the community.
“There is also very little funding for YouthSpace,” she said, emphasising the generational needs being addressed by these two organisations, which were receiving positive data that showed benefit.
“I heard on the radio today an appeal not to move the transit police from Traralgon railway station,” she said, describing her own experiences of feeling unsafe in Latrobe.
As a regular commuter, Ms Reid felt protective service officers do a great job, but “am yet to see any form of security or assistance on the new platform at Morwell.
“There’s no staff there at night, and if you get off on your own, it is very very scary.”
The second platform at Morwell station is the only unstaffed platform in Latrobe Valley.
“I don’t have the answer because it’s multifaceted with many causes. I urge council to fund this very important program, as a step forward.”
Another resident, Wendy Castles held a similar opinion, with the unique perspective of experience in the special education sector. She referred to the Positive Behaviour Interventions Framework, which is adopted broadly across Australian schools, noting it could be adopted to some extent by agencies funded by council to help counter the issues plaguing Latrobe City.
Ms Castles felt that young people and people with disability are not receiving the social support that they need in Latrobe, which may cause them to be more engaged in antisocial behaviours – or become victims of it.
“I don’t believe the actions being taken in Latrobe Valley, particularly Morwell, are addressing those needs,” she said.
The final public speaker on the issue was Jewel Burchell-Robins, youth co-chair at Gippsland Youth Spaces, who spoke on gaps in support for youth, and their safety. This is something Ms Burchell-Robins says “we need now more than ever”, and she herself does not feel safe in Latrobe, as a young person.
Cr Lund told her colleagues each of these perspectives “are not political speaking points – they’re lived experience.”
She also made a pointed statement, likely aimed at Cr Gibson, that policing has a role, but to rely on authorities is not enough, and called for a multifaceted approach, as suggested by Ms Reid.
“Council needs to step up and do what we’re here to do, (…) it’s long overdue,” Cr Lund said.
Latrobe City Council will now allocate a sum of $30,000 from the accumulated unallocated cash reserve in order to develop the program model to improve community safety.
A report will return to future council meetings, outlining how the program – successful in several metropolitan areas – can be adapted into a localised model for Latrobe City.
