• Rockhampton will host one of four new Crime Prevention Schools under the Special Assistance School model.
• $40 million youth re-engagement program a key crime prevention commitment in the LNP’s Making our Community Safer plan.
• Focus on community connection and mentoring to re-engage at-risk youth and prevent crime before it starts.
The LNP has announced Rockhampton will be the final location for its Crime Prevention Schools to be delivered across Queensland, as part of its Making Our Community Safer Plan.
The Gold Coast, Ipswich and Townsville have already been named as the other locations for the schools designed to re-engage youth who have fallen out of mainstream education and are identified as at-risk of falling into crime.
The school will focus on providing specialised education and life skills to help prevent at-risk youth from becoming the next generation of offenders.
LNP Leader David Crisafulli said the school would be essential to breaking the cycle of youth crime in Central Queensland.
“A Crime Prevention School in Rockhampton will play a critical role in re-engaging youth, putting them back on the Right Track, and reducing crime in our communities,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“This school will focus on education, mentoring, life skills, and community connection to help at-risk youth turn their lives around and contribute to society.
“To end Labor’s Youth Crime Crisis, we must provide kids with help to stay on the Right Track early, before they fall into lives of crime.”
The LNP’s Crime Prevention Schools will operate as Special Assistance Schools, offering targeted education and intensive support to meet the individual needs of students who have fallen out of traditional schooling.
LNP candidate for Rockhampton Donna Kirkland said the initiative would provide real solutions to the youth crime crisis affecting Central Queensland.
“This school will give young people in Rockhampton a lifeline, offering them education, structure, and support so they can develop the skills they need to secure employment and a brighter future,” Ms Kirkland said.
“Youth crime starts when kids lose hope and don’t have the support they need to stay on the Right Track. This school will change that by offering real help, keeping them connected to the community, and preventing future crime.
LNP candidate for Keppel Nigel Hutton said the school would deliver critical support to families and communities in the region.
“Our Crime Prevention School will make a lasting difference, helping kids get back into education, build their skills, and re-enter the workforce,” Mr Hutton said.
“Preventing crime starts with education, and this school will deliver the structure and support needed to give at-risk kids the maths and English skills they need for lifelong employment.”
LNP candidate for Mirani Glen Kelly said the Right Track policy would address youth crime at its roots.
“Labor has failed our young people by weakening youth justice laws and failing to deliver gold standard early intervention. These failures have led to a generation of repeat offenders,” Mr Kelly said.
“The LNP’s Making Our Community Safer Plan is focused on preventing, intervening, diverting, and rehabilitating young people, while delivering stronger laws like Adult Crime, Adult Time to restore safety where you live.
“Labor is desperate to hold onto power, but unless we change the government, we’ll continue to get more of the same.
“This election is an opportunity for a Fresh Start with the LNP’s Right Plan for Queensland’s Future.”