General News
19 March, 2025
Camooweal considered for federal border police facility
The cross-border commissioner is considering options to help reduce social issues in cities like Mount Isa.
A joint policing facility at the border of Queensland and the Northern Territory – funded by the federal government – has been touted by cross-border commissioner Ian Leavers.
He says such a facility would improve collaboration between law enforcement jurisdictions as police work to manage the movement of itinerant problem drinkers at the border.
Mr Leavers said improved communication channels were essential to enforcing domestic violence orders and child safety matters when parents lived on either side of the border.
The joint policing facility was among the ideas mooted by Mr Leavers at his first committee briefing to state parliament since being appointed to the commissioner role in August last year.
He told the committee that he had a strong relationship with former NT police commissioner Michael Murphy, who had been Mr Leavers’ primary contact because the NT doesn’t have its own cross-border commissioner.
However, Mr Leavers said he would have to establish new contacts in the NT government following Mr Murphy’s removal from his position in recent days.
During the hour-long briefing, Mr Leavers repeated calls for alcohol-banning notices issued by NT police to be enforced in Queensland. He said he also planned to meet with publicans on either side of the border to discuss potential impacts to their businesses.
“I think there is a bit of work to be done – what I will say in this role is that Queensland generally picks up the slack for other jurisdictions,” he said.
Mr Leavers told the committee he had not signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Northern Territory government.
However, he has signed an MoU with his New South Wales counterpart to aid in cross-border issues impacting south-west Queensland.
Mr Leavers said he was yet to reach agreements on information-sharing processes with neighbouring state and territory governments. He said he planned to write to director-generals across every Queensland department in the coming days in an effort to establish regular roundtable discussions.
Mr Leavers revealed he had met with David Crisafulli on two occasions since he became Premier but had received no ministerial directions in the first 100 days of the LNP government.
Mr Leavers has been appointed to the position for three years and his office was incorporated into the Department of Premier and Cabinet following the election of the LNP government.