From State Office

NHW State Coordinator

Happy New Year! I hope that 2008 provides each of you with many opportunities to enjoy this beautiful state of Queensland with your family and friends and of course to make our communities safer. I was able to take considerable
time off over the Christmas period as the end of November saw the arrival of a healthy, happy and so far, contented
second daughter for my wife and I. I now have worked in the position of State Coordinator for over 12 months. As I look
back over 2007 and towards 2008, I am reminded that I am very fortunate to work within a team at the NHW State Offi ce, with local police and with NHW Groups throughout the state of Queensland.

I firmly believe that as we continue to work together and not resist change that the NHW Program will remain the No. 1
Crime Prevention Program in Qld. Whilst we all have different opinions/thoughts on how to best keep the NHW program
No.1, I am thankful that we all remain committed to making our communities a safer place to live. We have experienced signifi cant changes and some disruptions during 2007 but I fi rmly believe that as a team we have made a positive contribution to our communities and of course our state. I look forward to the fi ndings/recommendations of the Parliamentary Backbench Review into NHW and am very hopeful that this review will ensure the NHW Program remains
a relevant and eff ective tool in crime prevention and of course creating safer communities.

Assistant State Coordinator

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Senior Constable Rod Sparrow to the NHW State Office. Rod has been working in the Crime Prevention Unit for the past two years, and will be working with me in the role of NHW Assistant State Coordinator.

NHW State Newsletter

Over the next 12 months you will continue to observe and experience signifi cant changes to the format, production
and distribution of the NHW state newsletter. These changes aim to encourage a wider reading audience through the use of information technology (e-mail, internet), encourage eff ective communication between NHW groups and local police and signifi cantly reduce the workload of the NHW State Office.  All NHW State newsletters are now mailed from the printer directly to your Regional Crime Prevention Coordinator. To receive your copy you will need to make contact with your District Crime Prevention Coordinator and/or police liaison offi cer who will arrange for a maximum of 25 copies to be provided to you. However, NHW Groups will always be able to obtain as many newsletter copies as they require to promote the NHW program. These extra copies are available and can be printed from the newsletters link on the NHW internet site at www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/crimePrevention/nhw/ or through contact with your local District Crime Prevention Coordinator (DCPC) and/or a local supporter.

State Rally News

The 2007 NHW State Rally was held on Saturday 20th October at Kershaw House, Glenmore Road, Rockhampton. The theme for this year’s rally was Moving Forward. Acting Senior Sergeant Ashley Hull, the RCPC for the Central Region acted as the MC. Ashley and his team are to be congratulated on the professional manner in which they planned and organised the rally and it was through their eff orts that the day came and went without a hitch. Close to 200 people attended the rally and they were able to hear from several keynote speakers about current good practice and future direction of the NHW program in Qld and Australasia.

Elissa Keenan, representing our new sponsor, the REIQ also spoke about their excitement of being involved in the No.1 crime prevention program. Information about the presentations including some photographs will be available shortly from the NHW internet site. A big thanks to the Police Commissioner, Mr Bob Atkinson, Assistant Commissioner Ann Lewis and other QPS senior executive staff for attending the rally and presenting the regional NHW awards! Special mention and thanks must also go to Minister Robert Schwarten MP who attended on behalf of our Police Minister Judy Spence MP and also Paul Hoolihan MP.
One of the highlights of the rally was the awarding of the 2007 NHW member of the year award. Th is was awarded to Max Heeps from Toowoomba 21. Sadly Max passed away before the rally and Max’s wife, Audrey attended the rally to receive the award on his behalf. We are very grateful that Audrey could attend and having met with Audrey since the rally in Rockhampton (Audrey is a member of the steering committee for the 2008 State Rally), she is a wonderful ambassador for the NHW program and I am sure that Max’s award will remain a focal point for both her, her family and the Toowoomba community for many years to come.
In conclusion, it is the intention of the NHW State Offi ce to create a new award for the NHW PLO of the year and this trophy will be named after the late Max Heeps and be presented for the first time in Toowoomba at the 2008 State Rally.

2008 NHW State Rally

Planning is well under way for the 20 year celebration of NHW in Qld and I can confi rm that the 2008 State Rally will be held in Toowoomba on Saturday the 18th October 2008. As part of the planning for the Rally you should have received notifi cation requesting that consideration be given to donate $10 per NHW group to the steering committee. It is anticipated that this donation will continue in each and every subsequent year and if most NHW groups assist in this way each year will generate in excess of $6000. Bank details for deposit are
Westpac Bank, Cliff ord Gardens, Toowoomba Branch, Account Number 4221 08142617, Account name, Neighbourhood Watch 2008 State Conference.

NHW Forums

During May and June 2008 the NHW State Office in partnership with local Police, our major sponsor REIQ and QUEENSLAND NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SUMMER/AUTUMN ISSUE 2008 State Rally Photographs 3NHW groups will be conducting Regional NHW Forums in all 8 police regions. Th ese forums will provide a platform for NHW issues to be raised that required consideration at a State level. Th e timing of these forums also allow the NHW State Offi ce to provide extensive information to NHW members and Police about the current status/future direction of the NHW Program.
Please remember that the proposed forums for 2008 that will be conducted by the NHW State Offi ce supplement your local and district forums and will only involve NHW members representing their respective districts.

Parliamentary Backbencher Review - Update

Recent advice from Barbara Stone MP, a co-chair on the Parliamentary Backbench Review into the NHW Program is that a copy of the review will be presented to the Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport, the Hon Judy Spence MP by March 2008.

CPR for Life

Advice from the Department for Emergency Services is that the CPR for Life program no longer exists and is expected to wind up by June 30 2008. NHW peer trainers can still ontrain while resources are available but there should be no promotion of CPR for Life. A number of community organisations such as St Johns Ambulance and Australian Red Cross provide CPR and fi st aid training at a small cost. You may wish to consider making approaches to organisations such
as these to continue to promote CPR and other programs that build your capacity to respond to your communities needs.

Conclusion

Currently we have 633 active NHW groups in Qld. Each of you play a very important part in ensuring that Qld is a safe place to live. With your continued support and commitment to promote crime prevention, personal safety and in engaging with your local community, you make my role one that I thoroughly enjoy.

Sergeant Steve Batterham
State Coordinator NHW
Ph 3234 2111