CORONAVIRUS — REGIONAL BUSINESSES AND TOURISM — INCREASE
637. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
I
have a supplementary question. Does the Premier acknowledge that without
additional resources, these communities have been left at risk and
exposed to potential tragedies, such as Coral Bay not having police attend for
at least two hours if there was an
emergency, or not having a permanent paramedic based in places like Coral Bay
or a doctor in Denham to be able to cope with the influx of tourists?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
My understanding is that the nearest
police stations are Exmouth and Carnarvon, so obviously deploying —
Mr V.A. Catania: Two hours
away.
Mr M. McGOWAN: Hold on; when
the member was in office, did he put a police station into Coral Bay? No, he
did not. Mr Speaker, he did not put a police station into Coral Bay.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN: The police
will deploy their resources according to operational need, and that has always been the case. I heard in the member's
initial question he was asking why I am not getting more volunteers out there.
Volunteers are organic. Communities provide volunteers. I would urge those
communities, if they need volunteers for the State Emergency Service or
whatever it might be, to volunteer and get involved. That is a matter for
individual communities to promote and support. Obviously, we have been dealing
with a very difficult situation. I think most people are happy that the virus
did not spread north, particularly to Aboriginal communities, and all the
feedback I have had from Aboriginal communities is that they are so thrilled
that the measures we have taken have so far prevented that from occurring.
Secondly, I think those communities are so thrilled that the tourism trade is
back better and stronger than ever before because of the measures this
government has taken.