Kangaroo Point protests costing taxpayers $270,000 a week
Protesters at Kangaroo Point are costing more than just motorists’ time as rallies block traffic, with revelations of an eye-watering weekly price for security at the inner-city hot spot.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
“SELFISH” protesters rallying outside the Kangaroo Point refugee detention facility are costing taxpayers $270,000 a week in security costs.
The shocking new figures have prompted acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge to lash out at what he called irresponsible behaviour, saying as well as costing the taxpayer, they were putting the public at risk through the gatherings.
Asylum seeker’s botched DIY penis enlargement costing taxpayers $230,000
Kangaroo Point protesters close off Main St
Why this woman copped fine for tooting her car horn
Protest organisers have defended the costs, saying the government had spent billions of dollars on offshore detention and could save money but allowing the refugees to live in the community.
Protests have been ongoing since April, including some 24-7 weeks.
From mid-June until the end of this month security costs have reached a whopping $1.9 million, or $270,000 a week.
Costs include additional security and staffing, transport for staff for extra safety as they enter or leave the facility and temporary fencing.
There were also costs to replace a hire van damaged when a protester superglued themself to it and jumped on the roof, but organisers say they were unaware of any damage.
Additional security staff cost $1.5 million in the past six weeks, including hiring additional staff and the 24-hour coverage requiring after hours pay and overtime.
Mr Tudge said the protesters were being “selfish and irresponsible”.
“They are costing taxpayers millions of dollars, they are putting the public at risk of COVID-19 and they are harming the very detainees they claim to be protecting,” he said.
“No detainee in any immigration detention facility anywhere in Australia has tested positive to COVID-19.”
Refugee Action Collective spokesman Mark Gillespie said billions of dollars had been spent on offshore detention and more now on the Kangaroo Point facility.
“It would be much cheaper to allow them to live in the community while they recuperate,” he said.
“If they’d been allowed to live and work in Australia they would have actually been paying tax and contributing.”
He said guards, cleaners and other staff meant social distancing was “impossible” inside the “crowded hotel”.
There are 101 men at the Kangaroo Point hotel detention facility, all of whom came under the now-defunct medevac legislation.
There were 184 people brought to Australia for treatment under the medevac laws, half of whom have completed treatment.
