By NOEL MURPHY
BROKEN election promises to fully re-open police stations at Drysdale, Portarlington and Queenscliff have come under fire from the party that cut their opening hours when in government.
Liberal Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay cited rising crime rates and illegal drugs as he slammed Bellarine MP Lisa Neville and Police Minister Wade Noonan for failing to expand the opening hours by March as promised.
“She said that the Andrews government would re-open the Portarlington, Queenscliff and Drysdale police stations for 16 hours a day and that this commitment would be fulfilled by March 2015,” Mr Ramsay told parliament.
“The Andrews Government has yet to deliver on this commitment to the Bellarine community and has in fact given no commitment to increase police resources in the greater Geelong region.
“The Member for Bellarine campaigned on a policy platform of delivering 16-hour serviced police stations at Portarlington, Queenscliff and Drysdale but has failed to deliver even one police station that is open for longer hours.”
The previous coalition government reduced the stations’ opening hours, manning them with police from Ocean Grove.
Ms Neville accused the coalition of “shutting down the community policing role that is so important to the residents of Drysdale, Queenscliff and Portarlington”.
Ms Neville said yesterday she was “gobsmacked they even have the nerve to raise this issue”.
“The only reason we have a policing issue in Bellarine and Geelong is because of the policies and actions of the previous government. We will implement our election commitment.
“We are working with Victoria Police closely to put our commitment into place without putting our communities at risk. A resolution is close and the commitment will be implemented as promised within weeks.”
Ms Neville said Mr Ramsey should apologise for “not standing up and fighting” when the previous government cut the stations’ hours.
