Criminal neglect: Opposition calls for LNP to commit to Far North youth detention facility

A youth detention centre for the Far North must be funded and committed to in this week’s state budget with a nearby juvenile facility struggling to meet demand, the Opposition says.

Shadow youth justice minister, Di Farmer and Member for Cairns are calling for the LNP to fund a youth detention facility in the Far North. Picture: Samuel Davis

A youth detention centre for the Far North must be funded and committed to in this week’s state budget with a nearby juvenile facility struggling to meet demand, Opposition spokesperson for youth justice minister Di Farmer says.

The LNP scrapped Labor’s plans to build a 40-bed facility near Gordonvale with Member for Mulgrave Terry James campaigning against the proposal during the state election.

But with staff shortages and harsh conditions at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre near Townsville forcing judges to consider shorter sentences for offenders, Ms Farmer said the issue was now out of hand.

“Premier Crisafuili scrapped plans for a detention facility in Cairns with no alternative,” she said.

“It’s pretty simple. If you’re going to lock up more kids … you need to put them somewhere.”

Overflowing youth detention facilities showed that the LNP had failed to adequately plan for the consequences of its tough “adult crime, adult time” laws, Ms Farmer said.

“Which is why we are calling for the LNP government to announce funding in the budget for a Cairns youth detention centre facility,” she said.

“And we want the details. When is it going to be built and where?

“We had the Youth Justice Minister saying they’ve been doing community consultation. Well, who’s she been talking to and when was she talking to them and what exactly is the proposal?

“If they’re going to lock up more kids and for longer, then it surely needs to be bigger than the one that was originally planned.”

Laura Gerber General coverage from inside parliamentary sitting day and Question Time. Thursday June 12, 2025. Picture, John Gass

Youth justice minister Laura Gerber wouldn’t reveal details related to the budget on Monday but said Labor had failed to address Edmonton and Gordonvale residents’ concerns about having a detention centre in the region.

“My department is consulting with the Cairns community in relation to a detention centre but Labor completely failed to consult with that community,” she said.

“They completely failed to fund anything and they completely failed to do a business case.

“The first step in any of these processes is to talk with the Cairns community and consult with them.”

Far North residents were entitled to know whether the state government planned to build a larger detention centre, given more youths are expected to be incarcerated, Ms Farmer said.

“There will be more kids locked up and they will be locked up for longer. So it makes sense that they will need a bigger facility,” she said.

“So that’s why we need to see what’s in the proposal. Have they actually done any modelling on the numbers that they’re going to be seeing and where’s it going to be?

“Who’s she consulted with? when did she consult and what is the proposal she’s consulting on?”

Originally published as Criminal neglect: Opposition calls for LNP to commit to Far North youth detention facility