Petition

Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that residents of Edmonton and surrounding suburbs are concerned that Edmonton has been proposed as the site of a Youth Detention Facility. This decision has been made with little to no consultation with local residents or the Cairns community.

Any site in Edmonton is unsuitable for a Detention Facility. It would be in close proximity to homes, schools, aged care, and the central business hub. Edmonton has one of the highest crime rates in Queensland. Building a Youth Detention Facility in a high crime suburb, where attempts to abscond may be assisted by other offenders, is poor planning.

Residents are concerned that its proximity to homes and businesses, such as bottle shops and tobacconists, make attempts to abscond more tempting and poses an unacceptable risk to the community.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to (a) recognise that this issue has raised serious concerns with the residents of Edmonton, the surrounding suburbs and Cairns as a whole; (b) call on the government to genuinely consult with the local community and residents before advancing this project any further; and (c) call on the government to investigate more suitable sites to be identified and if a Youth Detention Facility is to be located in FNQ, it be located away from the homes, schools and businesses of Edmonton.