Council to establish a ‘Border Towns Crime Prevention Committee’ including QLD and NSW police

Goondiwindi Regional Council will establish a ‘Border Towns Crime Prevention Committee’ to address and improve antisocial behaviour in Goondiwindi and neighbouring areas on the Queensland – New South Wales border.

Council is now facilitating the creation of the committee to include representatives from multiple organisations that have an interest in the issue locally, including the Queensland Police Service (QPS), the New South Wales Police Force and the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce. Council will also extend invitations to both the Queensland and New South Wales Premiers’ Departments, as well as the Moree Plains Shire Council and other organisations as appropriate.

Mayor of the Goondiwindi Region the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM said the committee will work to improve collaboration and communication between key stakeholders and develop local actions to address antisocial behaviour concerns.

“The idea behind the new committee is about multiple organisations getting together to tackle jurisdictional issues and responsibilities of cross-border crime,” the Mayor said. “While the police and courts are the responsibility of the state, this is about a community-led approach to addressing the kinds of issues that we face not just in our town, but in other neighbouring communities also dealing with the administrative complexities of the Queensland – New South Wales border.”

A key objective of the committee will be to identify the different challenges faced by each organisation. The committee will then work together to overcome those challenges to alleviate ongoing issues and maintain the safety of the community as a whole.

Cr Springborg has been in frequent contact with the senior police command regarding recent issues. As a result, the QPS has committed more district resources to address local concerns and representatives from both the QPS and NSW Police Force have met to discuss cross-border responsibilities.

In partnership with Balonne Shire Council, Council has also met directly with the Deputy Premier the Honourable Steven Miles to advocate for the appointment of a ‘Cross-border Commissioner’ for Queensland, based on the success of an existing model between Victoria-New South Wales. The Deputy Premier is now considering that request.

Cr Springborg said he understands the emotion behind the issue, but stressed the overall number of offenders was small.

“Goondiwindi and the wider region is generally very, very safe, but unfortunately we’re seeing a spike of juvenile, opportunistic crime,” he said.

“Within two weeks of the QPS implementing additional resources on the ground, I’m extremely encouraged to see that police have largely been able to bring this spike under control. This indicates to me that, unlike other communities around Queensland who have been battling ongoing crimewaves for years with no relief, what we’re experiencing in Goondiwindi is not systemic crime. Instead, with the recent additional focus and resources, our local police have largely been able to subdue the issue relatively quickly.

“That’s not to say there aren’t still concerns – and while these measures will hopefully yield immediate improvements for our community, the establishment of this committee is about giving consideration to managing and addressing antisocial behaviour long term.

“Council will also continue to advocate for further assistance from state agencies.”