Neighbourhood Watch groups deserve funding certainty

Prominent volunteer calls for more funding certainty

Northern Beaches Neighbourhood watch. Jason Costigan MP, Ken Rehbein and Shadow Police minister Trevor Watts. Picture: Stuart Quinn

MACKAY'S most prominent Neighbourhood Watch volunteer has called for more funding certainty, after a series of government cuts and patches.

Northern Beaches Neighbourhood Watch convener Ken Rehbein said it was "quite devastating" when the funding for groups across Queensland was slashed from $500,000 to $75,000 earlier this year.

"There was very little money to go ahead with projects, so some us went ahead and organised raffles... and we were lucky to get some funding from the Mackay Regional Council," he said.

"But you shouldn't have to work that way, it's a vital organisation for the community and the police service, and we should know where our funding is going to come from.

The Queensland Police Service funds Neighbourhood Watch out of its own budget. Between 2012 and 2016, an increase in funding resulted in the exponential increase in the number of groups in the state.

Police Minister Mark Ryan recently said a section within the QPS had been able to find an extra $125,000 in funding for the groups, for an annual purse of $200,000.

Shadow Police Minister, LNP MP Trevor Watts, said this was a start but not a solution.

"The LNP would not only reinstate the funding that was required, we would roll out an assessment of Neighbourhood Watch across Queensland, we would make sure funding is isolated for them, so that going forward they have surety outside of the police budget as to what they can do and achieve," he said.

Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan said the "uncertain times" for Neighbourhood Watch needs to stop.

Mackay MP's response: pg 16

Originally published as Neighbourhood Watch groups deserve funding certainty