Townsville MP’s Adam Baillie, Janelle Poole and Natalie Marr speak on expansion of youth crime laws
Townsville’s MPs have defended the implementation of a new tranche of offences to the Adult Crime, Adult Time laws, saying the LNP have ‘delivered’ in the fight against youth crime.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
With the announcement of 20 additional charges added to the Making Queensland Safer Laws for youth offenders by the Crisafulli Government, Townsville MPs have defended the state government’s implementation of the laws, saying the LNP have ‘delivered’ in the fight against youth crime.
The new laws will also ensure children sentenced to life in prison have to serve a minimum non-parole period of 15 years.
Townsville MP Adam Baillie said the new charges were “critical” in restoring community safety.
“Young people committing crimes need to be held to account for their actions,” he said.
“The people of Townsville have been calling for tougher action, and we have delivered.”
Saying the concerns of the community have been taken seriously, Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr said the government has been “listening to the community”.
“We want our community to feel safe in their homes and we will continue to put the victims first and hold youth criminals accountable with consequences for their crimes,” she said.
Echoing the approval of the changes, Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole said the additional 20 offences will see more youth offenders face consequences, saying the LNP “makes no apologies for it.”
“ … Adult Crime, Adult Time is an important next step and the three state members are committed to ensuring we deliver on our promise of a safer Townsville,” she said.
Also welcoming the new laws, KAP deputy leader Nick Dametto said the new legislation included all the essential offences proposed in the KAP’s version of the Adult Crime, Adult Time policy.
“We are already seeing the first youth offenders being sentenced under the new laws, but it will take time for them to become entrenched in legal precedent,” he said.
“However, adult crime, adult time on its own won’t solve all the government’s issues with youth crime. The next pressing matter that needs to be addressed is detention capacity.
“We don’t want a situation where we have tough laws but nowhere to house offenders, leading to them being released earlier than they should be. The government must be proactive in planning for the increased demand on detention facilities.”
The changes come as data released by the Crime Report Queensland 2023-2024 shows in the decade between 2014 and 2024, the most common age of an offender in Queensland was 15 years old, with more than 12,000 fifteen year olds charged in the last financial year alone.
Townsville had the second highest crime rate by region according to the figures.
The report also revealed between 2014 and 2024, the number of youths charged with stolen cars and robbery tripled, and the number of youths charged with break-ins and assault doubled.
More Coverage
Originally published as Townsville MP’s Adam Baillie, Janelle Poole and Natalie Marr speak on expansion of youth crime laws
Wet weather won’t stop Orchid Show from shining
The numbers of orchids may be down due to the recent wet weather but that won’t dampen the enthusiasm for the Townsville Orchid’s Society’s first show of the year.
Driver fighting for life: Bruce Hwy closed after car v truck crash
The Bruce Highway is closed in both directions south of Townsville following a serious crash involving a truck and a car that has left a driver fighting for life.