1678. Hon Alison Xamon to the Leader of the House representing the Attorney General:
I refer to the establishment of a custody notification service, and I ask:
(a) has legislation to establish the service been drafted;
(b) when is it anticipated this legislation will be introduced;
(c) when is it anticipated the service will begin operating; and
(d) what else needs to occur before the service begins operating?
Hon Sue Ellery replied:
(a) As with the CNS in New South Wales, WA’s will be mandated by regulations, which have been drafted and will be gazetted when the service in ready to begin operations. The Australian Legal Service (ALS), who will be the service provider, will also need to recruit and train lawyers and support staff to operate the service.
(b) It is intended that a new regulation to the Police Act 1892 (WA) will be laid upon the table of Parliament in the first half of 2019. Which will happen soon after the service provider, the ALS confirms that it has its staff recruited and trained.
(c) In the first half of 2019.
(d) The details of the service contract between the Commonwealth Government and the ALS, who will be the service provider, need to be finalised. The Commonwealth Government has agreed to annual funding of $750,000 and this will be supplemented by the WA Government providing $202,000 which will enable the ALS to employ five lawyers and two support staff to operate the service.