Security upgrade delivering safer Townsville small business precincts

• The Crisafulli Government is restoring safety where you live by delivering joint funding to make key small business precincts in Townsville safer.
• $1.9 million in security upgrades are being delivered for small and family businesses in partnership with Townsville City Council under the Secure Communities Partnership Program.
• Funding will allow Council to install critical safety measures such as CCTV, lighting, alarm systems and bollards.
• The Crisafulli Government is making Queensland safer, with stronger laws, more police, early intervention and rehabilitation, after Labor watered down the laws and created a Youth Crime Crisis. 

The Crisafulli Government is restoring safety where you live in partnership with the Townsville City Council to deliver safer, more secure small business precincts across the city. 

During a decade of the former Labor Government’s weak laws, small and family businesses paid the price, with repeated break-ins, vandalism and skyrocketing insurance costs making it difficult for many businesses to continue operating. 

The Secure Communities Partnership Program is part of the Crisafulli Government’s plan, alongside stronger laws and more police, to end a decade of spiralling crime under Labor which saw victim numbers explode by 193 per cent. 

The latest round of funding will strengthen surveillance to support and protect local businesses across the Aitkenvale small business corridor, in addition to key upgrades in the Flinders Street West corridor. 

It is one of four projects under the Secure Communities Partnership Program delivering crime prevention measures for small businesses across Townsville.  

Townsville City Council also received funding to deploy mobile community safety CCTV trailers and upgrade and install CCTV and lighting infrastructure to help detect, monitor, and respond to anti-social behaviour, property crime and vandalism affecting small and family businesses in the CBD.  

Additional upgrades along Flinders Street benefiting small business have also been completed. 

The Crisafulli Government’s Secure Communities Partnership Program has delivered funding across 42 Queensland local government areas, benefiting thousands of small and family businesses as well as supporting more than 170 small and family businesses through direct funding. 

Minister for Small and Family Business Steve Minnikin said the Crisafulli Government was making Queensland safer by partnering with local governments to support small and family businesses and their staff. 

“The Secure Communities Partnership Program is improving safety for thousands of small and family businesses across Queensland with critical safety upgrades that deter crime and protect local small and family businesses,” Minister Minnikin said. 

“When small and family businesses feel safer, they are more confident to invest, employ local people and serve their communities. That's why these practical upgrades are an important part of restoring safety and supporting local economic growth. 

“Under Labor’s weak laws, small and family businesses were repeatedly broken into and vandalised, but our Government is delivering stronger laws to restore safety where you live and reduce the number of victims in Queensland.” 

Member for Mundingburra Janelle Poole said the upgrades in Aitkenvale would provide security for small businesses across a vibrant area of the city. 

“These upgrades will allow small businesses in Aitkenvale to focus on what they do best, growing their businesses, creating jobs, and driving the local economy forward,” Ms Poole said. 

“Aitkenvale is a mix of retail shops and commercial offices which is a hub for many staff and customers.”