Early interventions, closer working ties with specialist services, and stronger collaboration with other government agencies will form part of a new Council approach to community safety in the city.
The Cairns Community Safety Plan – CBD Pilot 2022-2026 was endorsed by Council at today’s Planning and Environment Meeting, with the aim of managing, responding, and reducing antisocial behaviour, and promoting positive social interactions in public spaces.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said Council was moving to further address concerning antisocial behaviour in the city’s public spaces.
“It is well known that antisocial behaviours can have a significant adverse social, cultural, and economic impact on the city,” Cr Manning said.
“Council already spends over $3 million annually in CBD safety measures, which includes CCTV equipment and monitoring, security patrols and CBD support staff, that make an invaluable contribution to the effectiveness of joint community safety approaches in the CBD.
“However, more can be done to understand and address this complex issue and Council wants to be part of the solution.”
Over the past five years, an average of almost 1,000 incidences of antisocial behaviour – including criminal activity, public intoxication, and people sleeping rough – have been recorded each month by Council’s City Safe program.
Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee, Cr Terry James, said a new approach was needed to address those concerning statistics.
“The reputation of our city is at stake and Council needs to play a role in supporting traders, businesses, tourism operators and the community in tackling this issue,” Cr James said.
“That is not to say we are taking over the role of policing, that very much remains the that very much remains the jurisdiction of the Queensland Police Service and the State Government.”
Cr James said that research showed that proactive and targeted engagement, combined with punitive measures, was most effective in reducing antisocial conduct and changing behaviours.
“Council acknowledges that there are many underlying reasons, including social, health and economic disadvantage, that lead to groups of people been drawn to or behaving in less desirable ways in public spaces,” he said.
“What Council is proposing is a proactive approach that builds on the current collaborations with the State Government and other providers, that responds to these causes and makes Cairns a safer and more harmonious place for everyone.
“We want to see all available resources coordinated and used in a way that improves the conditions in the Cairns CBD and if there are gaps, particularly for vulnerable groups, to work with our partners to advocate for increased support.”
The Cairns Community Safety Plan (CSP) proposes a number of Council initiatives, including:
- Introduction of Social Connectors, who will have an on-street presence and work collaboratively with police and specialist services, to support early redirection of people at risk of offending, including youth.
- Improved design and management of built-up areas to reduce the conditions that are conducive to antisocial behaviours
- Deploying Council’s extensive security resources, including CCTV and street-based patrols, to mitigate the occurrence of antisocial behaviours and improve responses and service outreach by partner organisations
- Maintaining the cleanliness of public spaces, which will reduce negative perceptions about the CBD
- A CBD Hotspot Activation Plan, which will identify and implement a range of site-specific activations, including the enlivening of public spaces, business precincts or individual sites
- Tackling public drinking and intoxication through an increased commitment to the Responsible Service of Alcohol and the Liquor Accord via the Office of Liquor and Gaming. This also includes the consideration of increased restrictions on the sale of alcohol at various times.
The Cairns CSP will initially have a focus on people sleeping rough, with almost half of antisocial behaviour incidents recorded by Council’s City Safe program from 2016 to 2021, attributed to this group.
“It will take time for the CSP to yield results, but it will provide long term benefits,” Cr James said.
The Cairns CBD and fringes has been chosen as a pilot site due to ongoing antisocial behaviours in the location and the significant flow on effects on CBD users, residents, business owners and tourists.
