The Queensland Parliament has officially passed the second tranche of our Adult Crime, Adult Time laws—marking another major step in tackling youth crime across the state, and especially here in Far North Queensland.
I spoke in favour of the second tranche in Parliament earlier this week and am so pleased to see it go ahead.
These strengthened laws now cover 33 serious youth offences, including rape, attempted murder, arson, kidnapping, trafficking in dangerous drugs, and torture. These are not minor offences—and under these reforms, young people who commit adult crimes will now face adult consequences.
This is exactly what communities across FNQ have been calling for: real accountability for violent repeat offenders who have terrorised neighbourhoods and eroded community confidence in the justice system. After a decade of Labor’s soft-on-crime approach, our government is acting decisively.
But accountability is just one side of the solution.
We also understand that real, lasting change requires intervention. That’s why we’ve backed these reforms with a $485 million investment in early intervention and rehabilitation. Programs like Staying on Track and Detention with Purpose are being rolled out across the state to support young people post-detention, get them back into education, and help them break the cycle of reoffending.
We’ve also listened directly to communities like Cairns, Townsville, the Redlands and other high-crime regions through public hearings and stakeholder engagement. This law reflects their voice—and the advice of the Expert Legal Panel, which conducted a thorough review of youth crime data, case law, and community harm indexes before making these recommendations.
We’re already seeing progress. Compared to the same period last year, recent police data shows:
- 15.47% reduction in robberies
- 8.45% drop in car theft
- 11.52% fewer unlawful entries
This proves that our approach is working—but we know there’s more to be done.
With the expansion of these laws, and the continued support of early intervention programs across FNQ, the Crisafulli Government remains committed to restoring safety, rebuilding community trust, and ensuring that fewer families fall victim to crime.
We promised to act—and we are delivering.
