Government grilled on when promised Burleigh police beat will open

Burleigh LNP Hermann Vorster has vowed the Crisafulli Government will deliver the Burleigh police beat, as speculation increases about its starting date.

Burleigh LNP Hermann Vorster has vowed the Crisafulli Government will deliver the Burleigh police beat as speculation increases about its starting date.

Labor frontbencher Meaghan Scanlon has asked Police Minister Dan Purdie to give specifics on the Government’s plan for the Gold Coast crime hot spot in a Question on Notice in State Parliament.

The police beat was a key election promise made by Mr Vorster, who won last October’s State poll after long serving Burleigh LNP MP Michael Hart retired.

Mr Purdie was asked about the funding amount allocated in the Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Review to the police beat, the number of officer positions and operational hours which would be permanently allocated each week and its public opening hours.

Mr Scanlon also sought details on whether officers will be reallocated from other policing roles, and what the date the police beat would be operational.

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon asking LNP Government to release details about Burleigh police beat. Picture: Glenn Campbell.

Mr Purdie, in a two-line response to the Gaven MP, said the Government was committed to delivering on its election promises, including a permanent police beat in Burleigh.

“The Queensland Police Service is committed to ensuring the safety of all Queenslanders and I am advised by the QPS that internal consultation on this project is underway and further updates will be provided in due course,” he said.

Opposition police spokesperson Glenn Butcher called on Mr Vorster to say when he would deliver the $4.1 million community safety pledge for the crime hot spot.

Hermann Vorster pictured in the lead-up to the 2024 State poll, backing residents in their fight against crime.

“Hermann Vorster is more interested in bulldozing the Burleigh Bowls Club for a bus depot than building his promised police beat. If he was serious about delivering his major election commitment to the people of Burleigh Heads, the money would have been announced in the Treasurer’s mid-year budget,” Mr Butcher said.

Mr Vorster told the Bulletin the Government’s commitment to deliver the police beat was “iron-clad” and his number one priority.

He rejected suggestions the bowls club was at risk due to future transport plans.

“Labor has never been serious about fixing the crime crisis. Under their watch, they cut six police positions from the Palm Beach division, leaving our community with fewer resources to tackle crime,” he said.

Burleigh Heads MP Hermann Vorster and Police Minister Dan Purdie at Burleigh Heads when they made the election commitment to establish a police beat.

“Burleigh suffered under Labor’s decade of neglect and soft-on-crime approach. Instead of listening to locals at the last election, Labor put forward a candidate with a history of attacking police on social media.

“I’m in regular contact with senior police and the police minister. A permanent police beat will be delivered. In the meantime, I worked with police to bring a mobile beat to Burleigh which has already garnered results – with a temporary deployment.

“We are also supporting our hardworking police with more CCTV and $1 million to clean up the night-time economy on Friday and Saturday nights.”

A Bulletin report last month detailed how Burleigh’s crime wave has taken off by almost 10 per cent in a year, with the rundown Justin Lane area the biggest safety hot spot.

A council report included data from a QPS online crime map for the 12 months from January 2024 which shows 1372 recorded offences, suggesting midnight on a Saturdays is the peak time for most serious incidents.

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Originally published as Government grilled on when promised Burleigh police beat will open