Adult Crime, Adult Time laws expanded to make Townsville safer

The Crisafulli Government have introduced a dozen new Adult Crime, Adult Time offences to Parliament this week, expanding the Adult Crime, Adult Time laws to 45 youth crime offences.

Since the passing of the Making Queensland Safer Laws, more than 4,000 youth offenders have been charged with over 19,000 Adult Crime, Adult Time offences and the number of crime victims has fallen 7.2% in 2025, compared to the previous year.

The Bill adds a dozen new offences to Adult Crime, Adult Time, delivering on our promise to continue strengthening youth crime laws to turn the tide on Labor’s Youth Crime Crisis. 

The 12 additional offences for Adult Crime, Adult Time include:

Assault occasioning bodily harm 

Conspiring to murder 

Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse 

Riot 

Abuse of persons with an impairment of the mind 

Indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16 

Choking, suffocation, or strangulation in a domestic setting 

Disabling in order to commit indictable offence 

Stupefying in order to commit indictable offence

Endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent 

Aiding suicide 

Administering poison with intent to harm 

The additional offences deliver on the Crisafulli Government's election promise to expand Adult Crime, Adult Time on the recommendation of the Expert Legal Panel, which was established to consider more complex and serious offences.

After a decade of skyrocketing youth crime under the former Labor Government, the Crisafulli Government is delivering strong laws to ensure there are serious consequences for actions, after Labor’s weak-on-crime approach created a generation of repeat offenders.

Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber said Adult Crime, Adult Time was working to make Queensland safer.

“We promised Townsville we would continue to strengthen our youth crime laws and put the rights of victims first, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” Minister Gerber said.

“Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time sends a strong message that there are consequences for their actions and we’re combining this with record investments in early intervention and rehabilitation.

“Reversing a decade of weak laws will take time, and we won’t stop until there are fewer victims in Queensland.”

Member for Mundingburra, Mrs Janelle Poole APM said expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time was another critical step towards turning the tide on youth crime in Mundingburra.

“As the Assistant Minister for Community Safety, and after nearly 30 years serving as a Queensland Police Officer, keeping our community safe has always been my life’s work,” said Mrs Poole.

“The introduction of Tranche 3 of our Adult Crime, Adult Time laws is another important step in ensuring serious youth offenders face real consequences and that Queensland communities are better protected.”

Member for Townsville, Mr Adam Baillie MP has continued to work with the community to deliver these tough new laws.

“Townsville residents and business owners have asked for tougher laws to deal with Labor’s crime crisis and we have delivered,” said Mr Baillie.

“We have listened and worked with our community to deliver new laws which strengthen youth crime laws, hold offenders to account and put the rights of victims first.”

Ms Natalie Marr MP, Member for Thuringowa, highlighted the Government’s commitment to being tough on crime and continuing to strengthen youth justice laws.

“We said we would be tough on crime. That is what the community now expects from us. We always said there would be more changes, and more offences added to ACAT, because we won’t stop strengthening our youth justice laws, after 10 years of Labor weakening them,” said Ms Marr.