NRL star joins campaign to reduce violence in Queensland

The Palaszczuk Government is partnering with former NRL star Petero Civoniceva to reduce violent assaults across Queensland as part of a campaign developed by Moreton District police and set to be rolled out statewide.

Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller and Commissioner Ian Stewart joined Mr Civoniceva at the Dolphins – Redcliffe Leagues Club today to launch the Oi – it’s your choice campaign which has been previewed across QPS social media over the last few weeks.

Minister Miller said three new community service announcements would be seen on television screens across Queensland and posted on social media.

“Each community service announcement is a short video that puts you in the shoes of someone confronted by an escalating violent situation,” Minister Miller said.

“The videos show three scenarios tailored to a different perspective – a perpetrator of violence, a victim of violence and a bystander to violence.

“We’re hoping that each clip will highlight to Queenslanders that they face an important choice every time they’re confronted with violence. You can choose to continue down a destructive path, or you can take every possible step to deescalate the situation.”

Consultation with schools, patrons of pubs and clubs and the general community was a key factor in shaping the focus of the campaign.

NRL Ambassador Petero Civoniceva is the face of the campaign and supports the ‘Oi – it’s your choice’ message.

“In November I visited a school as part of a focus group with the project team and I was impressed at how rational and switched on the kids were about violence and how it could affect them,” Mr Civoniceva said.

“I believe the Community Service Announcements incorporate the sentiment that was expressed in the groups and I am proud to be part of this campaign and I believe in the message.”

Commissioner Ian Stewart said under certain circumstances, assaults could be prevented.

“We spend a significant amount of time and resources every year investigating assault complaints across Queensland, so anything we can do to reduce the number of times police are called as a result of a fight or altercation has my support,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“I want to thank the officers of the Moreton District for their hard work in developing this campaign. I think the message is spot on, and it goes to show the kind of proactive work our local officers are doing to keep their communities safe.”

Member for Redcliffe Yvette D’Ath said this campaign was about personal responsibility.

“This isn’t about the police lecturing the community. This is about individuals recognising that we all have a choice,” Ms D’Ath said.

“It’s up to every Queenslander to realise they have a choice to stop anti-social behaviour before it gets to the critical point where someone gets hurt. If they don’t, they’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

Media contacts:

Minister Miller’s office: (Brent Davidson) 0438 696 185

Police Media: 3015 2444