The first round of the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee’s regional hearings will skip Central Queensland cities, despite a reported 270 per cent surge in car thefts in the Capricornia Region since 2015.
Established in October last year by the State Government, the committee plans to develop a long-term strategy for youth justice in Queensland.
Ex-correctional officer Max Ritson said his local area of Parkhurst continued to be impacted by crime.
“What, we don’t exist anymore?” he said.
“We are having the same trouble as the rest of the country and something needs to be done.”
In just one night in his area last week, he said youths had scratched his neighbour’s car and two brand new cars had been stolen from Edenbrook Estate.
Recently another neighbour had her car tyres let down and saw people staring in through her window.
“Three lads were also driving around in a manual Hilux, but couldn’t drive it properly.”
Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry claimed south-east Queensland was being counted as “regional” with the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee holding hearings next month in Brisbane and Southport.
Other locations in the first round of hearings will include Townsville, Cairns, Mount Isa and Toowoomba.
“People are living in fear in their own homes,” Ms Landry said.
“Why are we being excluded when we have been suffering as much as anyone else?”
LNP candidate for Rockhampton Donna Kirkland said she had spoken to local businesses owners that had been broken into three times.
“Local business owners are carrying the burden of fixing the damage done to their building and increased insurance costs, not to mention the mental fatigue.”
Ms Kirkland said Rockhampton was in the top four cities in the state for crime, with a 271 per cent increase in car thefts since 2015, as well as an 86 per cent increase in break and enters.
“For every break and enter, for every car that is stolen, that’s one family that has been impacted mentally and materially… as well as the ongoing fear and anger about being violated,” she said.
“The government is basically saying their voices do not count, but they deserve to be heard, their stories deserve to be shared with this committee to help fix the ongoing crime wave that is affecting our region.”
Youth Justice Reform Select Committee chair and Member for Noosa Sandy Bolton said she wanted to reassure people that “no-one was being omitted” and the committee anticipated holding additional hearings later in the year.
“The committee will be discussing future sites and dates in the next couple of weeks and expect to be able to confirm the next locations soon.”
For more information the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee’s regional hearings go to parliament.qld.gov.au/youthjustice.
