Laws developed to crack down on serious and organised crime have passed State Parliament.
The new legislation declares a list of properties as prescribed places – including the Cowirra-based properties known as Ponde – and removes any requirement to give notice before prescribed places are declared in the future.
Any person who is a participant in a criminal organisation who enters, or attempts to enter a prescribed place, already commits an offence punishable by up to three years imprisonment. 'Participants' include office-holders, members and those seeking to be members of the criminal organisation.
The need for legislation came in the wake of a recent High Court ruling which invalidated the former Liberal Government's regulations concerning the Cowirra-based properties.
As put by Kyam Maher
We have acted quickly to take the strongest possible action in response to the High Court decision.
We are serious about our efforts to tackle organised crime and I'm pleased to see Members of Parliament respond with the urgency that was clearly needed to address this issue.
It will leave people in no doubt as to the status of these prescribed places, as well as the potential penalties faced by participants in criminal organisations seeking to enter those locations.
If bikies think that this Labor Government won't do everything in our power to ensure that they do not regain a foothold in South Australia, they've got another thing coming.
