POLICE —
GOVERNMENT REGIONAL OFFICERS' HOUSING
479. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I refer to Government Regional
Officers' Housing.
(1) What rental
increase can police officers serving in regional Western Australia expect in
2019–20 and for each year of the forward estimates?
(2) What was the
rental increase paid by police officers serving in regional WA for each
financial year between 2015–16 and 2018–19?
(3) Does the
minister have concern for the cost and quality of GROH stock in regional WA and
its impact on the police force's ability to attract and retain staff in
the regions?
(4) If yes to
(3), what measures are the minister and the WA Police Force taking to
ameliorate these concerns?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of this question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Police.
(1)–(4) In
2015, the former Liberal–National government implemented a policy that
enabled government employees' Government
Regional Officers' Housing rent to be increased by $30 per week from
2016–17, and reduced the WA Police Force appropriation by more
than $15 million. Leading up to the state election, in 2016–17, the
Liberal–National government passed on a $10 per week increase to police
officers and the Western Australia Police Force absorbed the balance. Under the
Liberal–National government's policy, since 2017–18,
police officers' GROH rents have increased by $30 a week.
Western Australian police officers in
regional WA do an outstanding job protecting and serving Western Australian
communities. The Minister for Police recognises the impact GROH rent increases
have on our police officers and their families and is working through options
to support these officers. Officers at 55 police stations and 12 multifunction
police stations receive free rent.