THE Minns Government has been slammed over its weak response to a petition signed by more than 22,000 people calling for more action to deal with the regional youth crime crisis.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said Labor’s ‘we’re doing enough’ attitude shows it’s not listening to what residents and families need.
“All we’ve seen in the past two years is young ringleaders wreaking havoc on our communities – breaking into people’s homes, stealing cars, hurting loved ones and costing lives,” Mr Saunders said.
“People have had an absolute gutful of the Premier and Attorney General implying they have solved things, because the reality on the ground is starkly different and everyone is living in a constant state of fear.
“Here you have hundreds of thousands of regional people putting their voices together calling for some tangible change to fix things, but instead of being open to doing more, the Attorney General has just sent back a list of measures that clearly aren’t working.”
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson presented the petition to Parliament, speaking on behalf of victims of crime who had contacted him concerned about a rising escalation of violence in his region.
“Communities across regional New South Wales are rightly frustrated and angry as things continue to spiral further and further out of control,” Mr Anderson said.
“Phebe Furneaux from my electorate started the Time for Change crime petition which is calling for tougher laws and consequences for offenders, and it has had an overwhelming amount of support.
“This is a weak, and seriously disappointing response from the Minns Government to the petition. They have not committed to any further action, and our regional communities have had enough. More needs to be done.”
Kevin Anderson, Phebe Furneaux, Sarah Mitchell MLC and Adam McNamara following the Time for Change debate in May. Adam’s brother, Daniel, was killed when he struck by a stolen ute allegedly driven by a 14-year-old boy.
Phebe Furneaux was disappointed with the response to the petition and said she would continue pushing for change.
“Our fight for the safety of regional communities will continue despite the government’s response to the petition,” Ms Furneaux said.
“We got the ball rolling, and we’ll keep the pressure on the government, continuing to call for change.”
Attorney-General Michael Daley’s responded to by saying he understood recent incidents of youth crime have caused significant distress and concern within regional communities.
“The NSW Government is committed to addressing the concerns raised and ensuring community safety,” Mr Daley said in a letter to Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Helen Minnican.
“The NSW Government acknowledges that there is significant community concern about youth crime and is taking a multifaceted approach to address this issue.
“In March 2024, the NSW Government introduced the Bail and Crimes Amendment Act 2024 which created the offence of performance crime as well as a temporary bail test for certain young people charged with certain motor theft, or serious break and enter offences.
“This reform changed the bail framework for young people requiring bail authorities such as police,
magistrates and judges to have a high degree of confidence that the relevant young person will not commit a further serious indictable offence while on bail before granting bail. The temporary test was set to sunset in April 2025,” he said.
“In March 2025, the Government introduced the Bail Amendment (Extension of Limitation on Bail in Certain Circumstances) Act 2025 which extended the operation of the temporary bail test to 1 October 2026.
“The extension of the temporary bail test is a direct response to community concerns about youth crime. The Government has also made significant investments in and continues to expand a comprehensive set of programmatic initiatives in the community to respond to youth crime.
“In 2024, the Government announced a package to support community safety and wellbeing which included $26.2 million to fund state-wide regional crime prevention initiatives, including the expansion of Youth Action Meetings, the expansion of the Safe Aboriginal Youth Program, and the continued rollout of the Justice Reinvestment grants. In February 2025, we announced in excess of $6 million to further support community safety,” Mr Daley said.
“The NSW Government is also taking a range of measures to address youth crime and support police in keeping communities safe. Central to these efforts is delivering a record number of new police recruits with recent recruitment numbers surging by 70 per cent.
“More than 300 new Probationary Constables attested at the Goulburn Police Academy in May, the largest class to attest in 11 years.
“On 8 May 2025, the Government announced a review of the legal principle of doli incapax. Doli incapax is a presumption that children aged 10-13 years do not sufficiently understand the difference between right and wrong to be held criminally responsible.
“This presumption can be rebutted if the prosecution proves beyond reasonable doubt a child understood that what they did was seriously wrong.
“The review is being undertaken by State Parole Authority Chair and former Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Geoffrey Bellew SC, and former NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Mr Jeffrey Loy. “Stakeholders including victims’ groups, local and regional communities, Aboriginal-led organisations and legal and government stakeholders will be consulted as part of the review.
“The reviewers are expected to report back in the second half of 2025. Separately, a Parliamentary Inquiry into community safety in regional and rural communities is also being conducted by the Legislative Assembly Committee on Law and Safety.
“The Committee released an interim report on 29 May 2025, which included several findings and recommendations relating to youth crime.
“The Government is currently reviewing the report and will consider its recommendations,” Mr Daley said.
