Minister Leanne Linard in Cairns to learn how to fix youth crime

Minister for Children and Youth Justice Leanne Linard has told frustrated victims that more can be done to fix the Far North’s youth crime scourge. What she will do.

MINISTER for Children and Youth Justice Leanne Linard has told frustrated victims that more can be done to fix the Far North’s youth crime scourge.

In a meeting in Cairns with the organiser of a parliamentary petition into youth justice reform Perri Conti, Ms Linard said she would keep focussing on interventions and diversions that were needed to reduce offending.

According to Ms Linard, the meeting was not to tell the community about what they needed but rather to hear their concerns.

“It should be about listening to the voices of people here; police, youth justice, all our community services that are on the ground, residents and victims of crime,” she said.

“I will come back to (Ms Conti) absolutely, and talk about what we can do … and if we can’t do those things, why we can’t.”

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Ms Linard said she knew that greater responses were needed to keep up with staggering juvenile crime numbers in the Far North.

“I will continue to listen to local representatives and local community because I know more needs to be done,” she said.

“Ultimately we need strong and accountable systems to hold young people to account but my focus is always what are the interventions and diversions that are needed to reduce offending.”

After meeting with local advocates, police and youth justice colleagues, Ms Linard said she had asked the tough questions to understand what the community needed and how resources in place were working — if they even were working.

“If we are not meeting that need then it’s my job to go away and argue for those resources,” she said.

Deputy Director General of Youth Justice Phillip Brooks, Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Newton, Minister for Children and Youth Justice Leanne Linard, Detective Inspector Kevin Goan and Member for Cairns Michael Healy discussing what needs to be done for the region’s youth crime epidemic. Picture: Brendan Radke

Tailored programs and responses to each Far North region’s major crime issues are on Ms Linard’s agenda as she said the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation was an example of a “really powerful” initiative.

The corporation was awarded $150,000 of the $1.4m Community Partnership Innovation Grants initiative as Ms Linard has since argued for and secured an additional $3m of funding.

“Sometimes it’s about more funding but other times it’s about how you use that funding,” she said.

Key people who attended the anticipated meeting was Member for Cairns Michael Healy and victim of youth crime who was forced to move homes, Rosemary Illoste.

“Minister Linard and I have been working enormously hard … our goal is to deal with some of the issues we’re facing in the youth justice area,” Mr Healy said.

Cairns couple Perri and Phil Conti are fed up with the city's juvenile crime rate and the sheer number of youth stealing cars in Far North Queensland. Picture: Brendan Radke

A commitment brought on by discussions on Wednesday was to PCYC’s Pulse Cafe that was forced to shut its doors due to poor behaviour by some youths and an attempted break in.

Ms Linard, in a conversation with Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin, vowed to fund a full time youth worker to help Pulse Cafe.

“That came out of conversations on the ground there, it’s about listening to local voices and responding accordingly,” she said.

However, Ms Conti was disappointed leaving the meeting.

“We can’t see (the programs) working up here,” she said.

“Money’s not the issue, the issue is the policies.”

The Minister’s arrival in Cairns comes after a 14-year-old boy is left fighting for his life following a ride in an alleged stolen vehicle on Monday. A 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly at the wheel of the car, has been charged — with bail denied.

This follows a record-breaking year in car thefts after 2021’s record of 782 was surpassed in August with unlawful uses of a motor vehicle rates currently at 858.

Originally published as Minister Leanne Linard in Cairns to learn how to fix youth crime