Brad Hazzard/Stuart Ayres med rel: State and Territory leaders meet to tackle law, crime and community safety

The Attorney General Brad Hazzard and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Stuart Ayres will discuss national strategies to address serious and organised crime as part of a range of measures being discussed at an important ministerial meeting in Melbourne today.

Mr Hazzard and Mr Ayres are attending the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council (LCCSC) meeting of State, Territory and Federal Government ministers.

Items to be discussed include national issues such as targeting unexplained wealth and new psychoactive substances emerging in Australia.

“It’s an important opportunity to be able to freely discuss common issues across state borders of law reform, law enforcement and crime matters,” Mr Hazzard said.

The meeting will also provide Minister Ayres with the opportunity to consider national developments in disaster management including measures to strengthen community resilience.

“I look forward to sitting down with our interstate counterparts in an effort to work towards a more national approach to combatting crime,” Mr Ayres said.

Today’s meeting is the first of the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council following the decision of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to merge the former Standing Council for Police and Emergency Management and the Standing Council for Law and Justice.

The LCCSC will assist COAG by developing a national focus on fighting crime and promote best practice in law, criminal justice and community safety, including policy, operations and service provision.