South Australian government's record crime and justice spend in state budget
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here BREAKING Man and woman charged with murder of missing teen Pheobe Bishop The South Australian government has unveiled its latest state budget, with a significant emphasis on law enforcement and justice initiatives in the lead-up to the March election. While the government has acknowledged cost-of-living pressures, the budget's focus on bolstering the police force has drawn both support and criticism. A central feature of the budget is a $172 million commitment to increase the number of sworn police officers by 326, aiming to bring the total force to 5000 by 2030-31. Alongside the focus on crime and justice, the budget includes some help for families with school-aged children. (Nine) "[This aims] to make sure that South Australia doesn't get into the same sorts of trouble we see in other places around the country," Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said. More than $45 million has been allocated to enhance road safety measures, including the deployment of more mobile phone detection cameras. Alongside the focus on crime and justice, the budget includes some help for families with school-aged children. The $200 school materials charge discount and the sports voucher program will continue, while the cost of the 28-day student metroCARD will be reduced from $28 to $10, potentially saving families $242 per year. When questioned about whether there's enough relief for South Australians still doing it tough, Mullighan said "last year's budget included a really significant cost of living package aimed specifically at low income earners and it wasn't once-off relief". While the government has acknowledged cost-of-living pressures, the budget's focus on bolstering the police force has drawn both support and criticism. (Nine) However, Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia criticised the government for a lack of help for struggling households. "Cost of living is the number one issue and there was a great opportunity for the premier and his government to deliver on that front," he said. The budget also allocates $70 million for drought relief and $384 million for the Whyalla Steelworks, anticipating an extended sale process - the funds contingent on Commonwealth support. While the budget is currently in surplus, debt levels are projected to rise, reaching almost $49 billion by 2028-2029. "Running budget surpluses while we are investing in the future ... taking on additional debt to fund those infrastructure developments gives us the confidence we can afford to service that debt," Mullighan said. This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress . 9ExPress
South Australia
Adelaide
Politics CONTACT US
Auto news:Is this the next Subaru WRX? Mysterious performance car teased.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
Bundaberg police to give update on missing Queensland teenager Pheobe Bishop
Police are set to provide an update about missing 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop, whose body they believe was discovered near a national park in southern Queensland yesterday afternoon. In a statement on Friday night police said they had discovered what they "believed to be human remains" near the Good Night National Park near Gin Gin at about 2:30pm on Friday. "The remains are yet to be formally identified; however, investigators are in contact with the family of missing 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop," the statement said, Ms Bishop was last seen on May 15 when she was supposed to fly to Brisbane from Bundaberg Airport. Her housemates James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, were charged with one count each of murder, and two counts each of interfering with a corpse on Thursday. The cases against Mr Wood and Ms Bromley were mentioned at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday. Neither of the accused men appeared and the matters were adjourned until August 11. Police are continuing to appeal for any information relating to Pheobe and the movement of a grey Hyundai IX35 between May 15 and 18 in the greater Gin Gin area.
ABC News
6 hours ago
- ABC News
Remains found in search for missing teen Pheobe Bishop
Queensland police are continuing to appeal for information on the alleged murder of teenager Pheobe Bishop, following major advances in the investigation yesterday.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Memorial, vigil for missing Bundaberg teenager Pheobe Bishop as community unites in grief
Flowers, photographs and handwritten messages line a busy street at the entrance of Bundaberg, a coastal city known for turtles, sugar cane, and rum. It's not a welcome to the town, 350 kilometres north of Brisbane, but the focal point of grief of a community mourning the loss of 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop. For three weeks, Pheobe's smiling face has saturated social media and missing posters throughout the region after she went missing on May 15, propelled by a family desperate for answers. As the memorial grows in the last place it was believed Pheobe was seen, a candlelit vigil is being planned in Gin Gin, the community where Pheobe lived, 50 kilometres south-west of Bundaberg. The outpouring of grief and support for Pheobe's family comes as police find what they believe to be human remains in thick bushland more than an hour's drive south-west of Bundaberg. The discovery on Friday came after Pheobe's former housemates, James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, were both charged with one count each of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse. They were not required to appear in court or enter a plea when the matter was mentioned in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday. Both matters were adjourned until August 15. The Bundaberg memorial sits at the end of Airport Drive, the first location police searched for Pheobe. It was here that Mr Wood and Ms Bromley told police they had dropped the teenager on the morning of May 15 for Pheobe to catch a flight to Western Australia via Brisbane. But she never made it inside the terminal. In a statement on Friday night, police said a brief search after further inquiries and investigations that day had led to the discovery around 2:30pm on Friday of the possible human remains. "The remains are yet to be formally identified, however, investigators are in contact with the family of missing 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop," the statement said. Earlier on Friday, Detective Inspector of the Wide Bay Burnett Craig Mansfield said the three-week investigation was "complex and protracted" with more than 100 police officers involved. Police have received more than 200 calls from the public. "We believe Pheobe was murdered and her body was moved," he said. Detective Inspector Mansfield confirmed police had seized Mr Wood's four-wheel drive vehicle on Thursday night. "Whilst this part of our investigation has culminated in the arrest, we are not finished with this investigation," he said. "Our primary focus has always been to locate Pheobe. "We are now concerting more efforts with additional staffing around trying to narrow down a particular location for Pheobe." Police initially focused their search on the Bundaberg area, specifically near the airport, as they tried to locate Pheobe or the luggage she was believed to have been carrying. It was not until Wednesday, May 21 — six days after Pheobe went missing — that police declared her disappearance suspicious and announced they were looking at two crime scenes. The first was the Gin Gin house where Pheobe was living with Mr Wood and Ms Bromley, where a number of deceased dogs were also found. The second crime scene was Ms Bromley's car, a grey Hyundai ix35 in which Pheobe was believed to have been travelling to Bundaberg. Two days later, on Friday, May 23 — eight days after Pheobe was last seen — police started what would be a five-day search of the Good Night Scrub National Park. Detective Inspector Mansfield said "telephone data" led police to search the dense bushland, more than an hour's drive south-west of Bundaberg. "It is evidence enough to say that we believe that the accused and Pheobe were there," he said. For five days, police used drones, police divers and cadaver dogs — trained to detect human remains — to search the area. Pheobe's body was not found, but items of interest were collected from the bushland and sent for forensic testing. Police also believe some items were removed from the area before their search began. Pheobe's disappearance was described as out of character from the outset. Through statements via police and daily social media posts, the teenager's family has begged the community for information relating to the disappearance of their beloved "Phee Phee". Posting on social media, Pheobe's mother, Kylie Johnson, said that their world had been "shattered". "I didn't think my heart could break anymore than it did when you went missing, or when charges were laid, but this! Pheobe's sister, Kaylea Bishop, spoke to the media outside the court on Friday. "She was loved; she is missed dearly," she said. The police investigation is still ongoing, with police still appealing for information about the movements of the grey Hyundai ix35, registration 414 EW3, around the greater Gin Gin area between May 15 and 18. Anyone with information is urged to call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
