THE NEED for a greater police presence in Moss Vale will be brought to the attention of the NSW Parliament this week when Southern Highlands MP Peta Seaton puts forward a notice of motion regarding the issue.

Earlier this month Ms Seaton sent a 1000-signature petition to Police Minister Paul Whelan to accompany a 50-page petition collected late last year.

The petition was organised by the Moss Vale Commerce and Progress Association after business owners in the town expressed fears crime rates would soar if more police officers were not stationed locally.

Ms Seaton said the notice of motion would serve as an opportunity to raise the policing problem in a formal arena.

She said the petition was one of a “number of tools that would continue to remind Paul Whelan this is an issue”.

“The reality is it won’t be debated, but it means that I can get up and make a statement in the full forum of Parliament,” she said.

“This is still a huge issue, there were about 1000 signatures in the first lot and 1000 in the last lot.

“That’s a lot of people, if one person in each family does it, that covers the entire population of Moss Vale and the outlying areas.”

President of the Moss Vale Commerce and Progress Association Irvine New reiterated the organisation’s concerns that “there has been no increase in police yet there is still a constant increase in crime”.

“If I did give up on this issue I wouldn’t be doing the job I’m elected to do,” he said.

“Police presence is a major issue in Moss Vale, businesses are tired of the expense of cleaning up after theft and vandalism.”