Perth MLA John Hyde fears next year’s Pride Fairday may be slapped with new fees as the Barnett Government tries to introduce new police-for-fees measures for major events.
The Shadow Minister for Culture and the Arts said the proposed legislation was ‘a real kick in the guts’ for community groups like Pride WA who try to make their events self-sufficient.
However, the WA Liberal government has said Pride events will most likely be exempt and it’s understood by OUTinPerth that neither the Fairday nor the Parade actually has police attendance.
Major events attracting more than 5,000 people which charge an entry fee will be subject to paying for police attendance if the legislation, which is currently being debated, is passed through the Parliament’s upper house.
Minister for Police Rob Johnson first presented the Police Amendment Bill in June this year and it was passed through the Legislative Assembly on September 21.
Hyde said WA Labor wanted the government to abolish the legislation and they would be voting against the bill.
‘The police need to face up to the fact that community groups are going to take a big hit on their finances if police have to do core activities,’ Hyde said.
‘Labor is hoping to delay the legislation so it won’t be applied to this year’s Fair Day and other community activities before Christmas.’
A spokesperson from the Department of Police said events that benefit the local community wouldn’t be charged for police attendance but at the time couldn’t rule out Pride’s Fairday without knowing specific details of the event.
‘The fee for service system, which is already running in other States such as Victoria and New South Wales, recognises the impact that these events have on local police resources,’ the spokesperson said.
‘(It) ensures that the community is not left footing the bill for such events which reap considerable commercial and economic gain for their organisers.’
Events which Police Minister Rob Johnson deemed to need fewer than 10 police officers will also be excluded from the cost while Johnson maintains the authority to exempt certain events.
Pride WA co-president Charles Denham said Pride events didn’t have police attendance to date as they hired private security and marshals for the Parade and Fairday.
For Fairday, Denham said Pride encouraged responsible drinking and that alcohol licensees provided staff trained to provide a responsible service of alcohol.
‘We are obliged to hire security by our agreement with the city of Perth; we pay 15,000 to close the streets for the parade,’ Denham said.
‘I guess they (WA Police) are a business like everyone else but I also think it’s a duty of the police to provide protection.’
WA Labor has announced they will try to block the legislation till at least December this year.
Benn Dorrington
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