Sometimes it takes something horrific to justify making a change.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The amendments in a policy, a safety barrier, a speed limit adjustment.
And quite often the action comes on the back of public sentiment and pressure.
In saying that, hindsight is an amazing thing.
But there's a difference between hindsight and plain neglect.
The political culture of money saving, cost shifting and downgrades for regional areas to justify modernisation in high-density locations is having a drastic effect on our region.
RELATED:
The incident has seen the NSW Government come under fire for their handling of security and funding in regional court rooms.
NSW Shadow Attorney General Paul Lynch accused the Berejiklian Government of “sitting on its hands” when it comes to court security.
“Although the Government is secretive about the number of sheriff officers they employ, it seems less than 250. There are simply not enough sheriff’s officers to provide proper security at our court houses,” he said
“It’s serious enough that several years ago magistrates complained. Despite that, and despite Labor raising this issue, the Government has sat on its hands.”
We’re not alone either, with other regional areas too feeling the pinch thinning health, education, infrastructure and public services.
Granted, there are some incidents nobody can plan for, and safety can only go so far.
The human element is a factor governments try to take into account across all sectors and decision making.
But they ultimately fail to be foolproof.
For example, while speed limits, better infrastructure and education can diminish the chances of a car accident causing serious injury or death, the human factor can ultimately bypass the most stringent of safety measures.
For the government, it comes down to risk and reward.
How much money needs to be spent so residents have their needs accounted for?
What financial commitment can justify voter satisfaction?
And how much cost-cutting can we get away with before public sentiment turns nasty?
Unfortunately for the NSW Attorney General’s Office, the campaign for better security at Griffith Courthouse went from zero to 11 in an instant last week.
It was fortunate the alleged incident saw the contraband used to self-inflict damage, rather than harming other innocent bystanders doing their job that day.
But the risk placed on the staff, jury and other onlookers has come back to bite the Office in a big way.
It’s incomprehensible to know someone defending serious criminal charges managed to get away with carrying a deadly weapon into a courtroom.
Let’s hope common sense prevails and the security measures we expect at Griffith Courthouse will be immediately implemented, before neglect claims a life.
MORE EDITORIALS