Tablelands Crime crisis: State ignores pleas for relocation sentencing
April 28, 2022
KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, says the State Government has failed North Queenslanders by not acting on crime, after meeting with 25-year-old Mareeba business owner Zac Kroonenburg and co-owner Jared Yates, whose pet shop has been targeted by offenders five times including graffiti, shoplifting, vandalism, and theft - costing more than $5,000.
Mr Kroonenburg, the owner of Fantasy Tails Pet Shop, says stock has been damaged in the shop and that incidents mean his insurance premiums will likely rise.
“It’s frustrating because it feels like there is nothing we can do,” he said.
“Our premiums are going to go up and it’s likely we won’t get any restitution. It’s not a good time to be
doing business.
“We caught one of the incidents on CCTV. Police identified the guy who had also kicked in the door of the KFC in Mareeba that night.”
Bob Katter says his party, the KAP, has been screaming out for relocation sentencing but has been ignored by the State Government.
The policy gives Magistrates the option to send youth offenders to an outback relocation sentencing facility in Kajabbi where the teens will be given valuable education and training in skills such as brick laying, fencing, livestock management, house building, cooking and much more.
Under the current youth justice regime, teenagers are either locked away in detention centres at extreme costs to the taxpayer without any hope of rehabilitation, or they are let back on the street and continue offending.
Mr Katter said the State Government was so emasculated that they had no ability to act on youth crime.
“I will be having discussions with Mareeba community figures and the legendary Tim White, from Kapani Warriors, about how we can move on relocation sentencing without the State Government,” he said.
“The State Government is so paralysed that we have to figure out ways of doing this ourselves. If relocation sentencing goes ahead, these kids will come back with skills and purpose, rather than the current cycle that increases crime.
“Relocation sentencing is based on the old law of banishment from 250 years ago, where if you played up you were sent bush. You were only allowed to return to the tribe when you were prepared to be civilised.”
-ENDS-
AUSTRALIA NEEDS TO BETTER USE OUR GREAT MINERAL, AGRICULTURAL AND LAND WEALTH Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Our mineral resources are vast. Our agricultural potential is huge. We have millions of hectares of land unutilised or under-utilised. Australians should be swimming in wealth …. NOT drowning in debt. Successive governments have slowed our economy to a grinding halt in a ruthless pursuit of a WOKE agenda. A REVOLUTION is coming… Australians are starting to fight back against the corporate and political elite that have sold and squandered our great Nation. It’s about time that government starts governing for the betterment of Australians or GET OUT and let the independent fighters that TRUELY represent their electorates and Australia have a go!!!!
Everyday, wonderful and courageous men and women of our police forces put their personal safety to the side to protect Australians. Most make it home… some, tragically, do not. Today we remember and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
In Mount Isa the answer is the same as Brisbane…. When Bob asks people “What would you do if you were the PM of Australia?” Overwhelmingly the answer is reduce migration levels. When the media runs stories of ISIS brides returning, mass murder at Bondi, machete crime in Melbourne… Australians are concerned…. Our cities are being stuffed with people who have no intention to contribute to our society... no want to integrate... they reside in large ethnic enclaves.. some migrate through lawful channels, many abuse the student and family dependent visa systems. Every year about 1 million more people come into Australia than leave… we are swamped. We want our country back.
Absolutely.. in the north we are controlled by a government based in the south east corner that is closer to Sydney. In the last 6 months we have lost yet another seat in Parliament to Brisbane... the Olympic Games extravaganza is costing more than the entire annual State budget... they have all the infrastructure, services and resources... we have potholes, patchwork road works, overstretched hospitals and police. For the North to be the powerhouse of this nation’s economy we need some autonomy so we can start the projects, build the infrastructure and create the wealth.
Thanks to the folks in Einasleigh, and Mayor Barry Hughes for having me yesterday in town and giving me my riding instructions! It wasn’t that long ago that most of the area was underwater. If ever there were an argument for a separate state— this is it. I don’t know of a million people anywhere in the world that are ruled by a government over 1,000 kilometres away or 2,000 kilometres away. Nowhere in the world does that exist. But when you are a small, isolated rural community, you are forgotten. The bridges are too low and they go under water all the time, the roads are too low and they go under water all the time, so there’s little replenishment of supplies. So there is work to be done. Thanks to publican Tayla for the chips and gravy, holding down the fort, taking care of the kitchen, bar and kids while her husband Braydon is away (winning most of the titles in NQ rodeo/campdraft/regional grand finals in Townsville!).
Finally commonsense has prevailed and the trucks are back on the road delivering essential supplies to some of Australia’s most remote and vulnerable communities. Massive thank you to Hawkins Transport for providing this essential service for so many years and tenaciously fighting to ensure its’ continuation. Fellas, I take my hat off to you. Great job
The Albanese government’s attack on backpackers is illogical at best and, at worst, just down right stupid. Overwhelmingly the pathway to permanent migration is through the student visa scheme and not backpackers. In our regions backpackers pick our fruit, pour our beers, clean our hotel rooms and make our coffees… they spend monies earnt exploring our wonderful country. Very few stay and those that do integrate into our communities. Backpackers must be encouraged and welcomed into Australia … they are NOT and should never be considered to be part of the backdoor migration cohort. They’re just here for a good time… not a long time. And for that I thank them for coming here, doing the work, spending the money and having the adventure.
In the north we can pay up to 4 times the cost for insurance as is paid in the rest of Australia. 20% northern homes are uninsured (more than double Australia’s average). Of the homes that are insured 83% are under insured - meaning that insurance won’t cover rebuilding costs. THIS IS NOT JUST CONCERNING… THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. Further exacerbated by the Federal government tightening the purse strings on much needed disaster funds. We need legislation change to get more insurers offering affordable insurance in the north. That is why the cyclone reinsurance pool was introduced... That is what government should be doing.
For eight years, the KAP has pushed relocation sentencing for serious repeat youth offenders. We were told no. We were asked why we kept talking about it. Well, this is why.... The LNP Government has now adopted our policy and passed it into law and credit where it’s due, they’ve followed through. It won’t solve youth crime on its own, but getting serious repeat offenders out of the environments driving their offending and into structured programs is an important part of the solution. It also puts to bed the claim that the KAP can’t achieve anything outside of government. Next up Castle Law!
Today Bob called on government to ban the importation of goods produced under slave labour wages or child labour. This could be a game changer for Australia’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors, and stopping the importation on goods, like bananas, we don’t want or need. Government agreed… Now we MUST ensure their actions meet their words.
