Kickstarting Early Intervention in Cairns to Keep Girls Out of Crime

The Crisafulli Government is delivering a new early intervention program in Cairns to restore safety in the community and support at-risk young people before crime takes hold.

Through the Kickstarter early intervention program, at-risk girls aged 14 to 17 will receive intensive mentoring and hands-on trade skills training to help steer them away from crime and towards education, training, or employment. The initiative focuses on breaking the cycle of offending early and creating real pathways to a positive future.

This program forms part of the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to Gold Standard Early Intervention — stopping crime before it starts and addressing the damage caused by Labor’s Youth Crime Crisis. After a decade of Labor’s decline, youth crime skyrocketed across Queensland, leaving communities feeling unsafe and unsupported.

The BUSY Group will deliver the 10-week Kickstarter program in Cairns, providing tailored mentoring and practical skills development designed to re-engage young women who are showing early signs of disengagement or criminal behaviour. By intervening early, the program helps prevent young people from becoming entrenched in a life of crime and supports safer communities across Far North Queensland.

Kickstarter grants fund early intervention programs that reconnect at-risk youth with education and training, reducing the likelihood of reoffending and improving long-term outcomes for individuals and communities alike.

This program gives at-risk girls the support they need to make better choices and find a positive career path, preventing offending before it occurs. Addressing early signs of disengagement, anti-social or criminal behaviour is essential to breaking the cycle of crime and putting young people back on the right track.

Labor failed to invest in early intervention and our communities suffered as a result of Labor’s Youth Crime Crisis. Programs like this are a key part of our plan to break the cycle of crime in Far North Queensland.

The Crisafulli Government is restoring safety where you live through stronger laws, more police, and the biggest investment in early intervention and rehabilitation in Queensland’s history — delivering a fresh start for Queensland and a safer future for communities like Cairns.