The petition of residents of the State of Queensland draws to the attention of the House the safety concerns of the community in relation to the current permanent police officer allocation in the Collinsville/Scottville region.

The current allocation of two permanent police officers does not adequately address the needs of the Collinsville community and poses significant safety issues for both current police officers and the broader community. In recent months Collinsville has experienced an influx of workers associated with two large scale renewable energy projects and the ramping up of the coal mines in the area. In addition, several hundred workers are expected in town over the coming months to work on the construction of the Carmichael Mine Railway line. Due to its locality Collinsville police officers are required to travel considerable distances to transport prisoners, mental patients and domestic violence victims which leaves the community without a police presence for lengthy periods of time. This is causing significant concern across the community.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to strongly consider that an additional permanent police officer be stationed to service the Collinsville/Scottville area to address the needs of these communities.