Premier leads Maryborough CBD crime crackdown after business outcry
Qld Premier David Crisafulli says he has “never seen” scenes as bad as what were unfolding in Maryborough, forcing he and local LNP MP John Barounis to speak directly to those affected.
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Maryborough’s issues with disorderly CBD behaviour have reached new heights after Premier David Crisafulli spent the early afternoon at the Maryborough Services Club to speak to worried business owners.
Mr Crisafulli’s decision to witness the issue in-person from the balcony of the Services Club came days after local LNP MP John Barounis met with community leaders about the screaming, swearing and intimidation in the heart of the city.
The Premier was in Townsville on Tuesday morning discussing a similar issue there, before heading to Rockhampton on Tuesday night.
He insisted crime, and not just youth offending, was an issue that his government was taking seriously.
“Community safety is important to us. It’s a priority,” Mr Crisafulli said in Maryborough.
“You’ve heard me speak a lot about youth crime... and why we focused so heavily on that, but community safety is also about antisocial behaviour,” he said.
“The issue of antisocial behaviour is really starting to ramp up in some key hotspots across the state.
“I’ve never seen the scenes that have greeted and confronted me, that I have seen and heard from John and local businesses, at the level that they are now.”
Mr Crisafulli said the government intended to address the “unruly” behaviour in the coming months.
“We want to focus very heavily on turning people around and giving them hope, opportunity, and the kind of support services they need,” he said.
“That’s important. So too are positive policing and the laws to deal with unsavoury behaviour.”
He then stepped inside the club with Mr Barounis to be greeted by a number of community leaders ready to find solutions to the issue.
Those in attendance included CBD services and business owners, councillors Daniel Sanderson and Paul Truscott, Inspector Paul Algie of Queensland Police, Corrective Services Chief Superintendent John Owens, and investor Daniel Beattie.
Mr Barounis reassured the community of his government’s plans for the area.
“We are committed to creating a long-term strategy to combat this unacceptable behaviour on our streets,” he said.
“The problems persist, and that’s why today is so important.”
Community members will devise plans at two more workshops to properly address the issue.
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Originally published as Premier leads Maryborough CBD crime crackdown after business outcry
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