The mayor of Port Augusta has called for an overhaul in the approach to addressing antisocial behaviour in the city as an axed, but popular, program has attracted new funding.
The new South Australian government has allotted $1.2 million over four years to revive the City Safe program to control antisocial behaviour in Port Augusta's CBD.
Port Augusta City Council Mayor Brett Benbow said the announcement was fantastic.
"I look forward to working with the state government to format this [program]," he said.
Mr Benbow said the cost of running City Safe per year was about $300,000, which went towards employees and other operational costs.
The program, at times contentious, was axed in 2020 after the Port Augusta City Council said it was no longer financially viable for it to back on its own.
He said it could possibly take on a new name, but he hoped it would also bring an entirely different, more collaborative approach.
"The antisocial behaviour issue we have at present needs to be handled by someone with authority," he said.
Extra beds at rehab centre
Additionally, the state budget also revealed that $3.4 million would go towards drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds in Port Augusta.
Scott Wilson, the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council chief executive, oversees the Port Augusta rehabilitation centre Footsteps and day centre Stepping Stones.
He said the new beds would create more availability at Footsteps.
However, Mr Wilson said they would also need more funding for staff to handle the extra clients.
"We would need to employ a couple more support workers to balance the staff client ratio," Mr Wilson said.
"And it means [these beds] would give people across that area more options."
But Mr Wilson said other crucial social services, such as sister service Stepping Stones, missed out on the budget.
He said several Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council-run centres relied on the same funding models despite an increase in people through the doors.
"[They] have the same budget that we got in 2013, so there's been no funding increase whatsoever," he said.
Mr Wilson said he agreed with Mr Benbow that the revived City Safe program needed a new direction.
"The original approach was to a certain extent quasi-police style, " he said.
"So, what we would hope is that the local council can convene a meeting with different agencies that deal with people who have drug and alcohol issues."
Other measures taken to make city safe
Mr Benbow was a member of the Port Augusta Responsible Communities Committee (PARC), formed in September 2021.
The committee brought together a group of relevant stakeholders, including the former deputy premier Dan Van Holst Pellekaan and South Australia Police Superintendent Paul Roberts.
Mr Benbow said he pulled out of PARC before the most recent state election.
"Look, there are some good people in that group, and I'm sure they are trying to make some change, but in my personal opinion, they weren't doing enough," he said.
The new government is yet to comment on whether PARC will continue.
Port Augusta is currently under liquor restrictions that affect the trading times of bottle shops and the amount of alcohol able to be purchased per customer.
The restrictions were a further measure put in place to curb antisocial behaviour in the city and are set to be reviewed by the Liquor and Gaming Commission on June 22.
Mr Benbow said he did not know yet if the restrictions had affected alcohol-related harm.
"I do see less activity early in the day," he said.
