Four children killed in an instant in June, 2020, a community outraged and in the grips of a youth crime wave, and a government forced to answer how such carnage could happen.

Changes were made to legislation and a five-point plan was introduced, but less than a year later more blood was spilt when Jennifer Board was the tragic victim in an alleged vigilante car chase.

Now, almost two years since those four teenagers died, North Queensland has faced the loss of yet another child in a stolen car crash in Cairns this week.

The Townsville Bulletin takes a look back at what the government promised after every tragedy, what impact it had and what should happen next to ensure no more lives are lost.

It’s 4.30am in Garbutt on June 7, 2020, and four children are dead beside the wreckage of a stolen car.

The car was stolen earlier that night, spotted running red lights and hooning across the city with five kids, aged between 13 and 17, packed inside.

But along Dalrymple Rd, the 14-year-old driver, out on bail, loses control, clips a roundabout and slams into a traffic light pole, killing all of his passengers.

The mangled car and gruesome scene is etched into the minds of first responders, and four families of children are ripped apart.

The community was angry, and called on the State Government to step in and do something to ensure this never happened again.

Three months before the crash, the government introduced a five-point plan described by ministers as “sweeping changes to crack down on youth crime” on March 10, 2020.

This plan included “tougher action on bail”, an on-country program for “culture-based” rehabilitation for Indigenous offenders, and a police blitz on bail where court decisions were appealed where appropriate.

But it wasn’t enough to save these kids from themselves, so they acted again, this time changing legislation.

On June 17, 2020, an amendment was made to the Youth Justice Act to replace the word “may” with the word “must” keep an offender in custody if they are a risk to the community.

At the time, Townsville MP Scott Stewart said the new laws would help keep the community safe.

“Any person who is a serious risk to the welfare of a person or is an unacceptable risk to the safety of the community will not receive bail,” he said.

Except, no one was safe.

Less than a year later, Jennifer Board was killed on Ross River Rd while riding her motorcycle.

The man charged over her death, Chris Hughes, was allegedly chasing a stolen car full of teenagers.

One of those teenagers is facing 35 charges, including a raft of alleged car thefts he committed before the crash on February 5, 2021.

A second teenage passenger in that car was back in custody less than a month after being sentenced over the crash which killed Jen.

He was arrested for dangerous operation of a vehicle and stealing, among other offences.

Jen’s death rocked the city, and desperate cries for more change were heard and answered by the state government in the form of more legislation change and a whopping $98.4 million funding package to “crackdown on youth crime”.

This time, they created a new law to make repeat offenders prove why they should be granted bail, and also the assurance of parents or guardians the child would comply with bail.

These laws have resulted in 620 juvenile arrests made in the Townsville District, with just over half held in custody.

They also brought in GPS trackers for eligible 16 and 17 year old repeat offenders, except the courts have only handed out nine of these devices, five in Townsville, since they became eligible.

Despite this, Bradley Smith, 14, died in an alleged stolen car crash in Cairns this week less than a year after these new laws came into effect.

Bradley was living in care at the time of his death, both his parents were dead and he had been sleeping rough.

Four of the six teens in the crash were on bail.

The Bulletin understands they were all known to the Department of Child Safety, just like some of the kids in the Garbutt crash.

Regional Queensland Deputy Commissioner Paul Taylor said it was going to take more than one person to fix youth crime.

“There’s not one solution,” Mr Taylor said.

“Everyone could do better … parents, friends, guardians, agencies, police, everyone can think what they could do better.”

Mr Taylor travelled to Cairns in the wake of Bradley’s death and visited the crash site himself.

“There’s never an excuse for crime, but when you see some of the backstories (of these kids) … you can see how they can easily be led astray and pay the ultimate price.”

So, what happens now? Another life has been lost at the hands of North Queensland’s youth crime, and despite the raft of changes, it hasn’t been enough to save lives.

Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard was contacted by the Bulletin and asked what will be done in wake of the latest death.

Ms Linard’s media advisor referred the Bulletin to a press release from last year, and did not provide a response before deadline.

Opposition spokesman for Police and Burdekin MP Dale Last said “very little” had changed since the Garbutt crash.

“If anything, the situation has actually become worse,” Mr Last said.

“There are fundamental flaws throughout the Youth Justice and Child Protection systems and those flaws are not being fully addressed.

“The Labor government is tinkering around the edges in an attempt to silence the discontent in communities across the state.

“In a few weeks it will be two years since those four lives were lost and, in the last few weeks, we have seen revelations about child safety, youth justice workers assaulted and another young life lost. I cannot see how anyone could say that positive change has happened and, even after recent events, I’m not confident any real change will happen any time soon.”