People travelling through one of Townsville’s main thoroughfares will notice a new eye-catching landmark – the Katter’s Australian Party’s (KAP’s) latest billboard.

The unmissable caption, “Make Townsville Safe Again: Send ‘em bush” promotes the party’s number one youth crime policy, Relocation Sentencing.

The policy aims to address youth crime by removing repeat youth offenders off the streets and to send ‘em out bush where they can be properly rehabilitated.

Hinchinbrook MP and KAP Deputy Leader, Nick Dametto said the purpose of the billboard was to generate greater community awareness about KAP’s policy.

“Here at KAP, we’ve been working on Relocation Sentencing for a long time to formulate what we see as the blueprint for a new sentencing option. Last week we delivered the policy to every Minister, Shadow Minister and Member of the crossbench,” Mr Dametto said.

“After last week’s major policy launch, we have been contacted by people across the State who say they agree and back our policy 100 per cent. We are grateful for the support because it was from community that this policy was borne.

“We would like to see both the Government and Opposition put victims first and get serious about rehabilitating youth offenders by backing this policy. Growing community and political support is only happening because of the backing this solution has by the people.

“Victims of crime are frustrated and fed up with the Palaszczuk Government for their failed efforts to address youth crime and their blatant disregard for Queenslander’s right to be safe.

“Put yourself in the shoes of the victims here, in many cases, knowing that the young criminals who just held up their shop at knife point, or stole and burnt their car, or ransacked their house, are most likely to be back out on the streets in a number of hours after being apprehend by policy under the current youth justice system.”

Aitkenvale’s Red Rooster franchisee, Kylie Johnson, said that when it comes to youth crime, what we are doing, isn’t working.

”If we can find any alternative to the existing system, then it is worth a shot,” Ms Johnson said.

“I think the worst thing we can do (as victims) is stay silent and accept the status quo. I’m losing staff. I have staff that won’t take a job when I offer them one because they don’t feel safe.

“Something has to change.”

Most people in Townsville would agree that to make this city safe again, we must lock these offenders up, so KAP has a solution, to “send ‘em out bush”.

The full policy can be found on this link: https://kap.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/KAP-Relocation-Sentencing-Policy-2.pdf