Budget 2024: Pay boost, more recruits and new kit for police

Thursday, 30 May 2024

The police will get new utility vehicles, a new boat, and new recruits.

The Government’s Budget has allocated $226m to hire an extra 500 police officers, $242m to boost police pay, and $63M to upgrade a tired vehicle fleet including a new police boat, specialist and covert surveillance vehicles.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell has pledged to recruit an extra 500 officers by the end of 2025 - from 10,211 to 10,711. This target has previously been described by the Police Commissioner as “ambitious”. The Government has identified frontline policing as a key priority area.

The Minister of Finance Nicola Willis has delivered the latest budget - with tax relief high on the priority list.

The police 'fleet renewal programme' will see the acquirement of 55 specialist vehicles for the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS), Special Tactics Group and Diplomatic Protection Service; 12 heavy vehicles for AOS and command centres; replacement of the police boat Deodar; 26 Skodas, 60 utility vehicles; five dog utes and 40 covert light vehicles.

Mitchell said $55m in identified savings in the police budget would be reinvested.

'Last year alone, police responded to over 1.2m events. So I am pleased new specialist vehicles are coming for Armed Offenders Squads, new utes for dog handlers and rural cops, as well as patrol cars for our beat police officers…these new vehicles will enable our police to disrupt crime wherever it is occurring.'

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she hoped the allocation for a pay boost would go some way to assuring police the government backed them to do their job: “We’re on their side.” Police and the Government have been locked in a dispute over pay, with more than 8000 officers rejecting an offer in April. Arbitration is understood to be taking place in June.

The Budget allocates one year of temporary “critical cost pressure funding” for better delivery of frontline services and operational delivery, of $120m.