Politics

04-02-2022

BEAUDESERT POLICE STATION SUCCESS

The new Beaudesert Police Station is now operational at Anna Street – at long last. Why does this matter for Tamborine Mountain and surrounds? It matters because Beaudesert police work together with Canungra and North Tamborine, especially on weekends and overnight. Bolstering police resources in Beaudesert is a part of increasing coverage across the board.

It didn’t take long for the old station to come down (I watched it get demolished in 2020) but it was a long time coming to get the new Beaudesert Police Station on the agenda. The previous station opened in 1980, and at the time was allocated four officers and two cars. It was 2004 when the old station was anointed ‘dump of the month’ by the Qld Police Union. The lobbying started before my time (the mid-2000s), but I was successful in getting the build process started in 2014. Seven years later, it’s here and can house over 50 officers if necessary. 

Our local police do a good job, often in trying situations, to keep our community safe. There are always issues that need to be addressed, and resources not available that would help police and help the community. 

Getting hold of those resources is an ongoing fight for Tamborine Mountain and all across the Scenic Rim Electorate.

 Photos: (top) Jon Krause MP pictured at the demolition site of the old police station in October 2020 and (above) in front of the new station in December 2021.

RATs
I have had a couple of queries about the lack of Qld Health distribution points for RATs on the Mountain (and lack of testing opportunities generally). Tamborine Mountain is a part of the Gold Coast Health Service district, and I have complained to the Health Minister about the lack of any presence on the Mountain – as opposed to other regions where the local health districts have reached out to the smaller areas (like Metro South has established a system in Beaudesert for distribution of RATs, at my urging). At the time of writing, I’m unaware of any movement on this front, but I will continue to press the case.

School’s Back
As our children head back to school, it’s a good time to be reminded of the standard operating hours for most school zones in Queensland: 7–9 am and 2–4 pm. Children can be hard to see, and may not be concentrating on vehicle movements before or after school, so it’s important that we take extra care at these times. I wish children and parents the best as school returns this year – remember to be mindful of the 40km/h school zone limit as we get back into the routine of school drop-offs and pick-ups. I hope that the first few weeks back at school are manageable for our resilient students, parents and teachers.

If you have an issue that you think should be fixed, I encourage you to contact my office, toll-free on 1800 813 960, so I can lobby on your behalf in Brisbane.