- The Crisafulli Government hosts forum in Cairns to listen to community concerns about rampant antisocial behaviour in the CBD.
- Representatives from local businesses, council and the Queensland Police Service are sharing on-the-ground experiences.
- Forum highlights the impacts of antisocial behaviour in Cairns and identifying solutions to restore safety where you live.
- Crisafulli Government is delivering in its first 10 months, after a decade of decline under Labor.
The Crisafulli Government has hosted a forum in Cairns today, to listen to the community's growing concerns about rising antisocial behaviour in the city.
Premier David Crisafulli led the morning workshop, alongside Member for Mulgrave Terry James, Member for Barron River Bree James and the Queensland Police Service, to listen to community concerns about the impact of antisocial behaviour on tourism, families and businesses.
Community safety was on the decline for 10 years under the former Labor Government, which weakened the laws, oversaw declining police numbers, and removed consequences for actions.
After 10 months, the Crisafulli Government is delivering on the promise to restore safety where you live with more police, stronger laws and effective early intervention and rehabilitation.
Today's forum marks an important step in making Cairns safer, with impacted locals, business owners and stakeholders able to help drive real solutions on the issue.
Premier Crisafulli said the Government was committed to making Cairns safer.
"This concerning behaviour has been allowed to spiral out of control for too long in Cairns but we are committed to restoring safety where you live," Premier Crisafulli said.
"Families and tourists should be safe while enjoying Cairns, small businesses should be able to go about their business without being impacted by antisocial behaviour.
"For too long this community wasn't given a voice, for too long the concerns weren't heard – but today we are here to listen and to start delivering the change needed to make Cairns safer for everyone."
Member for Mulgrave Terry James said the forum was part of a fresh start for Cairns.
"After ten years of decline under the former Labor Government, we are starting to make Cairns safer," Mr James said.
"Our community has expressed a strong desire for action, and unlike Labor, we are listening to their concerns.
"This workshop is a step in the right direction for addressing the impacts of antisocial behaviour."
Member for Barron River Bree James said the forum was another example of the Crisafulli Government's commitment to restoring safety to Cairns.
"Our community is still dealing with the impacts of a decade of weak laws and fewer police under the former Labor Government, but we won't stop until we deliver the change that's needed," Ms James said.
"Together with the State's largest ever crime crackdown bringing in our specialist police teams to work with local police on the ground – this forum is yet another way we are working to make Cairns safer.
"In the first ten months of the Crisafulli Government we've delivered stronger laws to tackle Labor's Youth Crime Crisis, put more police on the frontline, and now we are finding solutions to drive down antisocial behaviour."
