Premier attends Chinchilla Melon Festival after snubbing Toowoomba crime forum

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has visited a Chinchilla festival days after she failed to attend a Toowoomba crime forum, despite desperate pleas from the community for her to be there.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has visited the Chinchilla Melon Festival despite declining the community’s desperate pleas to attend a crime forum in Toowoomba on Wednesday night.

Since 75-year-old photographer Robert Brown was senselessly killed in broad daylight on a Toowoomba City street earlier this month, the region has been calling for the Premier to visit and address the growing crime crisis.

Hundreds of people piled in to the Empire Theatre’s Armitage Centre on Wednesday night to a packed community forum, demanding answers to the surging problem and to detail their harrowing experiences.

High-ranking police officials including Commissioner Katarina Carroll, head of the Youth Justice Taskforce Assistant Commissioner George Marchesini and Darling Downs District Superintendent Doug McDonald were in attendance.

Brendan Long attempts to ask a question at the Toowoomba Community Safety Forum at Empire Theatre. Picture: Kevin Farmer

They were joined by Police Minister Mark Ryan and Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard but the Premier was no where to be seen.

Despite declining multiple invitations to attend the forum, the Premier visited the Chinchilla Melon Festival on Saturday.

Over the years Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio has dealt with flood mitigation, Inland Rail and bypass projects and declared the region a welcome zone for refugees, but he admits the crime crisis has been one of the most serious matters he has faced.

After speaking with the Premier over the phone this week, the Mayor wrote her a letter personally inviting her to visit Toowoomba to address the issue.

“I have worked extensively with the Police Minister (Mark Ryan) looking for extra police in town but I think we’ve reached a stage now of near desperation,” he said.

“We need to actually act and there needs to be actual consequences for actions.”

The Mayor said more appropriate legislations were required to ensure young offenders could be kept under control or removed from society.

“We’ve seen shootings in the street, a stabbing in the street in Toowoomba and that’s not what Toowoomba is about.

“This is a far better community than that and the people who are perpetrating those crimes – we really don’t want them here.

“We have to work together to make sure we preserve the liveability, viability and beautiful environment of which we live.”

Mr Antonio took the time to applaud police for their work, adding they have the “toughest job”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was spotted at the Chinchilla Melon Festival, despite declining the community's desperate pleas to attend a crime forum in Toowoomba on Wednesday night.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been spotted at the Chinchilla Melon Festival despite declining the community's desperate pleas to attend a crime forum in Toowoomba on Wednesday night.

National Party leader David Littleproud said while he did not begrudge her for attending the festival, residents of the Darling Downs wanted action taken to prevent crime.

“She (The Premier) flew right over Toowoomba so she could have landed and she could have had a conversation with the community,” Mr Littleproud said.

“To do her job she’s got to listen to people, get in front of people and if she gets that opportunity she needs to take it with both hands.”

A spokesman from the Premier’s office said Ms Palaszczuk had a longstanding commitment to visit the Western Downs region and the Premier would visit Toowoomba “imminently”.

Melissa Carter asks a question about electronic monitoring devices for repeat youth offenders at the Toowoomba Community Safety Forum at Empire Theatre. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Wednesday night’s forum was organised in the wake of The Toowoomba Chronicle’s Enough is Enough campaign, which called on the state government to offer solutions to youth crime following Mr Brown’s death.

Many of the audience members spoke about their feelings of helplessness, and the anxiety they faced living day-to-day believing they could be the next victim.

Among those who spoke publicly was mum of two Melissa Carter who said she was disappointed the Premier did not attend the forum.

“(She needs) to hear us and listen to our community because people are absolutely screaming to be heard,” Ms Carter said.

“Out of the 300 people in attendance (on Wednesday night) I would say at least 95 per cent were victims of crime but that also has a ripple effect on their families, their children and their neighbours too.”