Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Mackay MP Nigel Dalton have joined forces to confront "antisocial behaviour," particularly along Mackay’s Bluewater Quay. The Premier visited Mackay last Wednesday, outlining a dual approach of restoring community safety while supporting those struggling with addiction.
“Today we're dealing with antisocial behaviour," Mr Crisafulli said.
"And one of the things that Nigel has been pushing really hard has been that antisocial behaviour, particularly along the Bluewater Quay and what that means for the community.”
The Premier stressed that public pride and a sense of belonging were at stake.
“I want to address it head on because it's important to not just people's way of life but their sense of pride and how they feel. We want the people to feel like they can own the waterfronts and the community parks and that they can go there and feel safe.”
Mr Crisafulli said the government’s approach combined law enforcement with social services.
“For one, it's about empowering the law enforcement to do their job. The second is around social services to help people be able to turn around their addictions and the challenges in their life, and we're doing both of those… both of those things are equally important.”
Mr Dalton echoed those concerns with a local lens.
“Our Bluewater Quay is a mess... and we need to sort that out,” he said.
The Mackay MP also drew on recent community feedback.
“I've done a survey within Mackay, and 17 people responded to that survey. Three quarters of them said antisocial behaviour should be a crime, so that's what we want to move forward with.”
Both leaders emphasised that while accountability is vital, compassion must also play a role.
Mr Dalton said, “We want to make sure we can help them remove themselves from those positions where they look untidy. We just don't want them to be in the places where we want to take our families, where we want to have a carry out meal and sit down and have fish and chips by the river.
“There's some wonderful facilities along the Bluewater Quay, but we're not able to use them because they're being inhabited by people who make us feel uncomfortable.”
He welcomed the Premier’s presence, describing the workshop as a practical step forward.
“This workshop is all about learning what we can do, how and who can do what to help these people. And it's really wonderful that the premier has come here to be able to talk about that openly to these agencies and make sure that we get these laws rectified so that we can actually enforce things and then also help these people along the way.”
Both the Premier and Mr Dalton framed the initiative as part of a broader mission to reclaim Mackay’s public spaces, by restoring safety, and building a community where families can feel proud and safe while ensuring those in need are not left behind.
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