Cross-border commissioner's death leaves border towns in limbo
Ian Leavers was the first person to hold the role of cross-border commissioner in Queensland. (AAP: Darren England)
In short:
Cross-border commissioner Ian Leavers died in November, 15 months into his new role.
He was working alongside border communities and elevated certain issues to the state government in a bid to find solutions.
What's next?
Towns, like Goondiwindi on the Queensland-New South Wales border, wait to see who will replace him in the role.
Rural and regional police say their hands are somewhat tied when alleged offenders jump the Queensland-NSW border.
Goondiwindi officer-in-charge, Senior Sergeant Richard McIntosh, said some offenders were well known to Queensland Police, but they took advantage of the fact that police did not have any authority south of the McIntyre River.
He said there was a history of people fleeing Queensland to the nearby NSW border town Boggabilla.
"We had an [alleged] offender that we wanted for 12 armed robberies in Goondiwindi," Senior Sergeant McIntosh said.
"He could wave to us in the street in Boggabilla as we drove past, but we couldn't do anything about it, and that's what we're trying to address."
Senior Sergeant Richard McIntosh says more needs to be done to ensure police on both sides of the border can do their jobs effectively. (ABC Southern Qld: Aisling Brennan)
He said Queensland Police were unable to make an arrest in NSW if a person was on probation or had outstanding NSW charges.
It was an issue Queensland's first cross-border commissioner, Ian Leavers, was tackling prior to his death last month.
Mr Leavers had spent 15 months working on finding solutions to improve conditions for people who lived on the Queensland border with their cross-border counterparts in New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
His role aimed to escalate any issues raised to the Queensland premier's office in an attempt to make changes.
Mr Leavers's death had left those living in Goondiwindi with unanswered questions about what would happen next.
Lawrence Springborg says the cross-border commissioner role is vital for communities like his. (ABC News: Stephen Cavenagh)
Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg said Mr Leavers had been "making a big difference" for residents.
"It's an enormous loss," Mr Springborg said.
Living on 'separate planets'
Mr Springborg, a former Queensland LNP leader, said living in a border town was like "Mars and Venus" despite Goondiwindi only being a 10-minute drive from neighbouring Boggabilla.
He said having the two communities acting like "separate planets" led to many bureaucratic gaps.
Some Queensland police act in a special constable role, meaning they can help NSW police if needed, but Mr Leavers had been working on other solutions to improve policing issues, like the limited extradition capabilities.
"I know that [Mr Leavers] was working on things such as ensuring that we go beyond the special constable role that we have between the police officers and the other side of the border, so we get a full recognition of power and authority for police in basically a bubble along the border," Mr Springborg said.
A meeting with police on both sides of the border to hear about the problems with law enforcement in Mungindi. (Supplied: Balonne Shire Council)
Mr Leavers was also investigating whether appropriate trade recognitions could be reflected on both sides of the border and whether state government youth sport vouchers could be used for border communities.
Elsewhere, Mr Leavers had called for the Northern Territory's banned drinker register to apply in outback Queensland, arguing the move could help relieve pressure on stretched services.
Job to fill
Despite no official announcement of a replacement for the role of commissioner, the premier's office told ABC the Office of the Cross-Border Commissioner was still working to progress issues raised by border communities.
Mr Springborg said he hoped Mr Leavers's role would be filled quickly to build on the "headway" already made.
"We're not saying we'll fix all of those problems, but we were starting to fix some of them," he said.
"It's just been such a terrible tragedy, and hopefully the best thing we can do for Ian in his legacy is to actually pick up where he left off and just continue his job."