I love the wonderful dining areas and entertainment that have sprung up in Ocean Street. It has become a very popular place with people of all ages enjoying it, particularlyduring the monthly markets. However, there are some urgent issues to fix so we keep it safe for all and I have called on the Attorney General to act urgently.
Local venue operators and Suncoast Cabs are warning that the area is now the busiest taxi rank on the Sunshine Coast which means a taxi marshal and security guard to help facilitate the smooth departure
of patrons from our popular Ocean Street night spot. The Local Safe Night Out Board have submitted an application for funding to fix this, but the Attorney General’s office have put the funding on hold and are refusing to answer questions about when this will be available.
Plans for better public safety measures in the Ocean Street Precinct have been left in limbo since the change of Government with the scrapping of the LNP's funding for Safe Night Out Precincts.
In Parliament last week, I again asked the Attorney General to urgently release funding to help keep people safe at this busy taxi rank.
Sadly the Sunshine Coast has already experienced tragedies due to alcohol-fuelled violence and the LNP Government worked hard to put strategies in place under the Safe Night Out Strategy to ensure this doesn't happen again. Moving people out of a precinct in a timely way at the end of the evening is a critical part of that. The LNP Government provided funding and was working with stakeholders to put plans in place to ensure that people can go out, have fun and stay safe.
It’s simply irresponsible to scrap one plan without providing an alternative. I am calling on the new Government to listen and act now and I will keep advocating for this issue to be resolved urgently.
