Premier Faces Down by Residents Over South Hedland Child Protection Crisis
Premier faces backlash in South Hedland over child protection crisis. Residents demand action and accountability from the government.
Residents of South Hedland confronted the Premier during a recent five-hour visit to the northern town, his first since a coronial inquest was announced into the deaths of three local children.
The inquest into Margaret Hawke's 2022 killing of her 10-year-old daughter, seven-year-old son, and four-month-old baby was prompted by sustained pressure over failures by the state's Department of Child Protection.
Crisis in South Hedland
Child protection authorities are under scrutiny after reports emerged that over a dozen children were living alone in a state-owned house in South Hedland. The Premier's visit came amid a steady stream of political visits to the town, more than 1,600 kilometres north of Perth.
The Premier announced that a contractor had been selected to build a long-promised $22 million MRI facility, but the focus remained on the child protection crisis. He was accompanied by Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski, who has made four trips to South Hedland in nine weeks.
During a meeting with community leaders, Nyamal-Pitjikarli elder Doris Eaton urged the Premier to spend more time in the town and understand the situation firsthand.