Queensland crime crisis beginning to put off visitors from Sydney and Melbourne

It used to be all sun, sand and fun, but a spate of damning reports means people from southern capitals now appear to be seeing Queensland and the Gold Coast in a much darker light.

This column spent the weekend just gone at a family event attended by relatives from around the country, most especially Sydney.

The conversation among the Sydney crew told me a lot about perceptions of the Gold Coast – and unusually, it wasn’t good news.

Those that flew up were taken aback by how bad the traffic was as they exited the airport. It was worse than they had experienced on previous visits.

But most especially, the discussion frequently turned to what they had heard about the growing crime problem.

Based on news reports they were seeing down south, it appears they had formed the impression that crime is now somewhat out of control here, that the Gold Coast is no longer safe as it once was.

Youths with a care stolen from retired police officers Dave and Janeane Taylor. Picture: Today

While there is no doubt that youth crime and car theft in particular is a serious issue here, it appears the perception is made worse by the fact that they saw it as a ‘Queensland’ issue.

On the Gold Coast, overall crime rates have not quite returned to their pre-pandemic highs, with 61,270 offences recorded last year compared to 63,984 in 2019.

But in Queensland as a whole crime rates last year hit a record high, and it’s not clear that people in Sydney make any distinction between the Gold Coast and places like Townsville, where the issue is so much worse.

Adding to the problem, while crime here is growing, despite some well-publicised bikie hits in Sydney, that’s not the case everywhere in Australia.

“Crime has been decreasing nationally but the Queensland data, we had a 7 per cent increase in crime rates,” Bond University criminologist Dr Terry Goldsworthy told the Courier Mail.

“Looking at the 12 months prior to July last year, property crime is booming in Queensland, break and enters were up substantially, unlawful uses were the same, robbery had increased.”

In contrast, break and enter offences are down substantially in New South Wales – from 26,081 in the 12 months to March 2019, to 18,938 in the equivalent period this year.

Bond University criminologist Dr Terry Goldsworthy. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

Some of this, perversely, may be of some small benefit to the Gold Coast.

Among the Sydneysiders this columnist spoke to at the weekend, a couple who were considering moving here, but were hesitant because of what they had heard about crime.

Outside some in the real estate business, perhaps, few will be too worried if high rates of interstate migration finally cool.

But there is an impact on tourism also. Much discussed was the story of Dave and Janeane Taylor, both retired police officers, whose car was stolen near Townsville while they were on a caravan trip from Melbourne to far north Queensland.

The young offenders involved had broken into their caravan while they slept to grab the keys.

My Sydney friends had, like many thousands of others, seen their story featured on the Today show.

“The shocking thing about it is we are experienced police officers and we slept through this,” Ms Taylor said.

Dave and Janeane Taylor had their car stolen while on a road trip from Melbourne to Cape York, with the thieves taunting them on social media. Picture: Today

Somewhat unhelpfully, presenter Karl Stefanovic chipped in that “people are shaking in their own homes, and are prisoners in their own homes”.

Other national media, reporting the same story, wrote that the incident took place in “crime-riddled Queensland”.

This is the message going out to the nation.

It is changing perceptions of Queensland, and the Gold Coast is affected.

In 2032 we host the Olympics. The idea, as best this column can understand it, is to put Queensland on the map globally. To showcase what a wonderful place this is to live and to visit.

If we don’t nip this growing crime problem in the bud, the fear must be that – as has been happening at a national level – a different message goes out to the world.

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