What We’ve Delivered for Barron River and Far North Queensland
When I was elected, I promised to fight for Far North Queensland and to make sure our region was no longer overlooked.
This is a snapshot of what the Crisafulli Government has already delivered, from safer communities and disaster resilience to cost-of-living relief, sport, transport, housing and support for local organisations.
COMMUNITY SAFETY
✅ Adult Crime, Adult Time — Three Tranches
Delivered progressively from December 2024, with further expansions in 2025 and 2026.
Adult Crime, Adult Time was one of our first major commitments to Queenslanders. The laws have been expanded in three tranches, with the latest reforms taking the number of offences covered to 47 and strengthening consequences for serious repeat youth offending, including repeat offending while on bail.
✅ Jack’s Law
Made permanent in 2025; expanded further in 2026.
Jack’s Law is now a permanent part of Queensland’s crime-fighting toolkit, giving police stronger powers to detect and remove weapons from public places. In Cairns and across FNQ, police have used these powers thousands of times, helping get dangerous weapons off our streets.
✅ Daniel’s Law
Passed in 2025.
Daniel’s Law established Queensland’s first public child sex offender register, giving parents, carers and communities greater access to information about high-risk child sex offenders. It is another tool designed to help protect children and keep our communities informed.
✅ Electronic Monitoring — Youth Offenders
Expanded in 2025 and strengthened towards a permanent system.
The Crisafulli Government strengthened youth bail monitoring, expanding the use of GPS electronic monitoring for high-risk young offenders. The reforms are designed to give police greater oversight of offenders on bail and reduce reoffending while supporting community safety.
✅ Electronic Monitoring — Domestic and Family Violence
Legislation delivered in 2025, with implementation progressing.
Queensland is introducing GPS monitoring for high-risk domestic and family violence offenders, alongside stronger police protection measures. These reforms put victim safety at the centre and give authorities another tool to monitor offenders and respond to breaches.
✅ POLAIR and Additional Police
Announced May 2026.
✅ New E-Scooter and E-Mobility Laws
Passed in June 2026.
Queensland’s new e-mobility laws strengthen penalties and enforcement around unsafe and illegal riding, while giving police greater powers to deal with dangerous or high-powered devices. The reforms also strengthen pedestrian protections, introduce clearer age and licensing requirements and bring random breath testing into the e-mobility framework.
✅ Stronger Anti-Drug Laws
Passed in April 2026.
Queensland’s stronger anti-drug laws ensure greater accountability for drug offences, strengthen police powers and deliver a tougher response to illicit drugs while still supporting diversion and rehabilitation for eligible offenders.
DISASTER RESILIENCE
✅ Five ARNI Communication Trailers
Five delivered by July 2026.
Five satellite-powered Airbridge Resilient Network Infrastructure (ARNI) trailers are now deployed across Far North Queensland. These locally designed and built units can rapidly restore communications when traditional networks fail, with the technology already supporting communities including Cooktown and Wujal Wujal during recent cyclone activations.
This is particularly important in FNQ, where cyclones, floods and isolation can knock out telecommunications when communities need them most.
ENVIRONMENT AND COUNTRY
✅ Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program
Expanded in October 2025 and continuing.
The Crisafulli Government committed an additional $6 million to the Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program as part of a long-term 10-year investment. The program is protecting the Wet Tropics, our biodiversity, agriculture and the tourism economy from one of the world’s most destructive invasive species.
✅ Land and Sea Ranger Program
Funding increased through the 2025–26 Budget and continuing.
The Government committed additional funding to the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program, supporting on-ground environmental management, cultural knowledge and jobs across regional and remote Queensland. The 2025–26 Budget included $49.9 million over four years for the program, with $16.4 million annually ongoing.
TRANSPORT
✅ 50-Cent Public Transport Fares
Introduced in 2025 and made permanent in 2026.
The Crisafulli Government introduced 50-cent public transport fares in August 2025 and has now locked them in permanently through legislation. For families, workers, students and pensioners, this provides simple, predictable and affordable public transport.
✅ Cairns Airport Bus
Route confirmed in July 2026; service commencing by the end of 2026.
Cairns Airport will be connected to the CBD by a dedicated public bus service for the first time. Route 100 will connect the airport with key destinations including Cairns Hospital, Cairns Private Hospital, the Cairns City bus station and Cairns Lagoon — and, thanks to permanent 50-cent fares, the journey will cost just 50 cents.
✅ New Local Bus Stops
Delivered in 2026.
New bus stops are being delivered across the Cairns community, making public transport more accessible and bringing services closer to where people live. These are practical local improvements that make it easier for residents to get to work, school, shops and appointments.
SPORT AND COMMUNITY
✅ Stratford Bowls Club Upgrade
Completed in 2025.
The Marlin Coast Bowls Club received funding through the Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund to upgrade its facilities. The project is now complete, supporting a much-loved local club and providing better facilities for members and the wider community.
✅ Play On! Sports Vouchers
Delivered from 2025 and expanded in 2026.
Play On! has helped thousands of children across Barron River get involved in sport by reducing the cost of registration and participation. More than 2,100 Barron River children have already benefited, with the 2026 program providing $200 vouchers and being locked in as an ongoing cost-of-living measure.
✅ Community Grants
Delivered throughout 2025–26.
Local clubs, community organisations and not-for-profits across Barron River have received funding for equipment, facility upgrades and community programs. In June 2026 alone, Barron River organisations secured more than $328,000 through the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, supporting grassroots organisations across our electorate.
SUPPORTING FAMILIES
✅ Back to School Boost
Introduced in 2025 and increased in 2026.
The Back to School Boost provides direct assistance to Queensland families with the cost of school essentials. The payment increased from $100 to $150 per primary school student in 2026, providing practical help with uniforms, books, stationery and other back-to-school costs.
✅ Stamp Duty — First Home Buyers
Expanded in 2025 and abolished for eligible first-home buyers from 2025.
The Crisafulli Government removed stamp duty for eligible first-home buyers, cutting one of the biggest upfront barriers to home ownership. For families trying to get into their first home, removing this cost can make a significant difference to the amount of money they need to save before buying.
✅ Boost to Buy
Introduced in 2025.
Boost to Buy is Queensland’s nation-leading shared-equity home ownership scheme, designed to help eligible Queenslanders overcome the deposit barrier and get into their own home sooner. It forms part of the Government’s broader housing strategy to support Queenslanders who are ready to move from renting into home ownership.
✅ Lower Power Prices
Delivered from 1 July 2026.
The Crisafulli Government’s Energy Roadmap is delivering lower electricity prices for regional Queensland, with Ergon passing on savings of around 7 per cent for households and 8 per cent for small businesses from 1 July 2026. For FNQ families and businesses, that means real relief on an essential household and business cost.
