BUDGET FAILS TO ARREST YOUTH CRIME CRISIS
The Minns Labor Government’s third bleak budget will leave regional communities defenceless against the escalating youth crime crisis.
Outside of the $2m for Moree Youth Crime Intervention, $1.5m to continue the Coalition’s Maranguka Justice Reinvestment project in Bourke, and a measly $5.5 million in early intervention and diversion programs for young people in contact with the criminal justice system, there is no additional funding to help deal with the epidemic.
By contrast, the former Coalition Government announced a landmark $36m youth crime package ahead of the 2023 election including the establishment of Violence Reduction Units to steer young people away from crime.
In 2022 the Liberals and Nationals also set up the $40m ‘Our Region, Our Voice’ Regional Youth Investment Program that created safe spaces for youths to learn life skills and find hobbies, as well as committing $9m to extend the highly successful Youth on Track early intervention program.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said the 2025/26 budget falls well short of what’s needed.
“We’ve seen three budgets and three fails from this Government and Labor’s dribs and drabs approach is doing nothing to stop serious repeat youth offenders from holding our cities and towns to ransom,” Mr Saunders said.
“The crucial support we had on offer is virtually non-existent in the budget papers, which is extremely concerning giving things are even worse now than they were two years ago and continue to spiral out of control.
“The fact is people are still scared on the streets, and they are scared in their homes, yet there’s no additional resources to allow regional residents and families to feel safe.”
Shadow Minister for Police Paul Toole said the lack of funding is disappointing and won’t reduce the workload for members of the NSW Police Force who are dealing with this issue every day.
“We have always known Labor is soft on crime, but money talks and now this lack-lustre budget for law and order proves that,” Mr Toole said.
“This isn’t just a Moree and Bourke issue, it’s a statewide issue – and again overnight we’ve seen six teens involved in another incident when they should have been at home asleep, not stealing cars and going for joy rides.
“Initiatives like our Regional Youth Investment Program which pulled troubled kids off the streets and put them into a safe space where they could channel their energy into something positive will cease to exist at the end of this month.
“The Minns Government had a great opportunity to show it backs our Police by using the budget to support them, but it failed to deliver for a third year in a row.”
