Talks with Mullewa Shire Council about juvenile crime

29/8/94

Attorney General Cheryl Edwardes was in Mullewa yesterday (Sunday, August 28), at the request of local MLA Kevin Minson, to discuss with the Mullewa Shire Council issues such as juvenile crime and sentence provisions for juvenile offenders.

Mrs Edwardes, local MPs and senior officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority and the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, had a working luncheon with the council and community representatives.

It was one of the first personal visits by a State Attorney General to the Mullewa area.

The Attorney General said the Government was keenly aware of problems of juvenile offending in Mullewa, through input from local MPs such as Greenough MLA Kevin Minson and Agricultural Region MLCs Bruce Donaldson, Murray Nixon, and Murray Criddle, who were part of the meeting.

Mrs Edwardes explained the Government's Young Offenders Bill which represented a tough but fair approach to dealing with young offending, including the mandatory recording of convictions for all but minor offences, and provision for the establishment of Juvenile Justice Teams to ensure young offenders directly face the consequences of their offending.

"This is part of a package of measures including significant amendments to the Bail Act, the Child Welfare Act and changes to the Crime (Serious and Repeat Offenders) Sentencing Act, to reflect community concerns about dealing appropriately with juvenile crime," she said.

"This Government was elected on a mandate of improving the system and upgrading law and order and the community deserves prompt action."

Mrs Edwardes also held discussions with community leaders in her capacity as Minister For Women's Interests and visited the Annual Wild Flower Show.

On the way home, the ministerial party flew over Tallering Peak to view the work being done by Kingstream Resources.

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