Townsville’s fight against anti-social behaviour: community leaders and business owners unite for the cause

NQ business and community leaders are hoping to crack down on anti-social behaviour with a new workshop to brainstorm ideas.

The state government will hold a workshop in Townsville next week to address business owners and key stakeholders concerns of public intoxication and anti-social behaviour.

A bid to curb crime in the CBD as spurred a probe into public intoxication, with community and business leaders set to put their heads together to come up with a solution.

The workshop will bring together business, community and non-government organisations to determine what can be done about the scourge.

Townsville Chamber of Commerce CEO, Heidi Turner, said crime had become a big problem for the city and the state.

“The cost of doing business is becoming harder and harder and the impacts of anti-social behaviour and public intoxication is making that even harder for business,” she said.

Ms Turner said the chamber would be sharing examples of what has been seen from businesses.

CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Heidi Turner said anti-social behaviour and people not feeling safe at work is a big challenge in Townsville. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“It might be a business that has the windows smashed once a month, they’ve increased the excess on their insurance, so what we’re finding is they’re having to pay out of pocket every time the window is smashed, small things like that,” she said.

“Anti-social behaviour and people not feeling safe at work is a big challenge for us.”

In March last year, the Townsville Bulletin revealed that the popular restaurant A Touch of Salt had been targeted by anti-social behaviour numerous times, including being subject to graffiti and attacks.

Townsville MP Adam Baillie said the state government was keen to see what could be done about public intoxication and the anti-social behaviour which accompanies it.

“That starts by listening to the community, and then addressing and identifying what steps we might take to further address those issues on an ongoing basis,” he said.

“It’s a complex issue, it’s been an ongoing issue for a long time but it’s not an issue that is beyond us and we’re keen to get engaged.”

Mundingburra MP Janelle Pool said that public intoxication and anti-social behaviour was not limited to Townsville’s Central Business District.

Townsville MP Adam Baillie, Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr and Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole. Ms Poole said public intoxication and anti-social behaviour isn’t limited to the CBD.

“I see it in the electorate of Mundingburra around the shopping centre areas,” Ms Poole said.

The former Labor government decriminalised public intoxication, public urination and begging in September 2024.

Ms Poole believes this has caused an escalation in anti-social behaviour.

“This anti-social behaviour leads to our community feeling less safe, they won’t go out in public and they won’t enjoy our beautiful public spaces because of that feeling of not feeling safe,” she said.

“It also affects our business economy, and it affects tourism, so it affects Townsville in many ways.”

Mr Baillie said that while the workshop was about supporting the business owners, it was also about getting vulnerable people the help they need.

“It’s about providing the right resources and support for those that are in most need and most vulnerable,” Mr Baillie said.

“If there’s vulnerable people out there in our community, we want to ensure we have the support in place to support them and help them.”

Originally published as Townsville’s fight against anti-social behaviour: community leaders and business owners unite for the cause