Mayor hints at crack down on city booze sales to help curb crime
The Cairns Mayor has flagged potential changes to liquor licensing in the fight on crime and anti-social behaviour in the CBD while endorsing the new government’s tough stance on juvenile offenders.
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The Cairns Mayor has flagged potential changes to liquor licensing in the fight on crime and anti-social behaviour in the CBD while endorsing the new government’s tough stance on juvenile offenders.
Quizzed about local government implications of a LNP majority government that swept to power on Saturday evening Mayor Amy Eden addressed key issues including the Cairns Water Security Project, the proposed high performance training centre, the Adult Time Adult Crime policy and the loss of a Cairns-based tourism minister.
While Mayor Eden welcomed “stability” and the moving out of a “holding pattern” brought by the election period she wouldn’t be drawn on whether a Far North MP should be made tourism minister or assistant tourism minister.
“I’m not going to dictate or really heavily suggest to the premier elect what he should or shouldn’t do,” she said.
“But what I do know is that the voices of the north are really important, and that was reflected in the results, I believe, in all the regional seats.”
A key focus for the Mayor going forward was advocating for the construction of a Queensland Academy of Sport high performance centre after the project failed to attract a pre-election funding commitment from the LNP.
“It’s absolutely a priority for Cairns Regional Council, we would love to see that high performance centre here in Cairns,” she said.
“So don’t expect me to be quiet on this anytime soon, and I know Michael Healy will be just as keen to advocate.”
Leading up to the election Mayor Eden demanded the next state government target youth crime with “more than slogans” following a $5m investment to bust crime, including $3.4m for CCTV and City Safe security.
And earlier this month for the first time it was announced a Queensland Police officer would sit in the City Safe CCTV hub to help monitor screens in partnership with council.
However Mayor Eden declined to state if she believed the LNP’s flagship Adult Time, Adult Crime policy would take the financial pressure off ratepayers as council steps up to stamp out criminal activity.
“I think it’s too early to tell (and) I don’t actually know what the policy entails,” she said.
“I want to have conversations about potential changes to liquor licensing hours, a whole (raft) of measures, because there is no silver bullet.
“However, there are a lot of things, and they can be small things, if we’re all doing them at the same time, that there can be a really positive impact for our city.”
The Mayor didn’t expect different parties being in power at a state and federal level would influence funding from Canberra needed to complete the Cairns Water Security Project.
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