Path funding
TO BEGIN, a great outcome recently was the $3.8 million of extra funding for Council from the State, for greater accessibility. This amount is for two projects with one being wayfinding signage and cycle street for pedestrians and cyclists and linking to the Sunshine Coastal Pathway at Peregian Beach.
Electric forum
Thank you to all residents who supported Peregian Family and Friends in facilitating the community forum on electric bike and scooter safety. With the continued incidents endangering riders, pedestrians and drivers, I, Coolum Police Officer Joel, TMR and Stuart from Ecotekk Noosa were invited to speak at the Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club. Much was covered from the confusion between e-bikes and e- motorbikes, through to what is being done to reduce reckless behaviours including education, innovation, confiscations and extra resourcing.
A key message is that we all have a responsibility to our children by ensuring they are on compliant bikes, not motorbikes, and are abiding by the laws. Importantly, report offenders to Policelink by calling 131 444 or by lodging an online report at www.police.qld.gov.au/policelink-reporting and for anyone who has CCTV cameras, you can register by googling ‘Community Camera Alliance’. Gratitude to our police who shared much including that the vast majority of parents they visit are genuinely shocked when advised of their children’s disregard for the safety of themselves and others, and immediately sell the bike.
Parliament
The Community Safety Bill had important amendments, including ones supporting some of our Youth Justice Reform recommendations, however there was contention. These included the new firearm prohibition orders and the amendment seeking to clarify ‘detention as a last resort’ which during consultation still had no consensus as to what it actually does. Hence, why in April we put forward ‘recommendation 53’ to lower the threshold at which serious repeat offender declarations can be made and broadening its criteria to target the specific cohort that is creating the danger in our communities. It is positive that government has supported the recommendations from my former committee, with over half of them in progress, however that there has not been any response from the opposition is deeply concerning. We need actual solutions, not slogans, to address youth and adult crime in Queensland.