Tell us, what is going to change?

EDITORIAL: Call me a cynic but the new legislative changes to strengthen bail laws appear to be all talk and no substance.

Read: $26.2 million for regional safety and early intervention – Gunnedah Times

The NSW government says bail authorities will now need to have “a high degree of confidence” that no further serious offences will be committed by young offenders before discharging them into the public. But wouldn’t most folk in the community assume this is happening already?

Sure, diversionary practices should be front of mind and custody a means of last resort, especially for children, but it makes us wonder why this “high degree of confidence” is only being enacted now.

Additionally, the extra penalty for “posting and boasting” appears restricted to only vehicle theft and break-ins. What about every other crime these young crims are posting about? Maybe their penalty is already in the mail.

And we understand Moree is a hot spot for youth crime so warrants additional resources but scooping out half the funding pot for one town risks alienating the remaining regional parts of the state which are also faring poorly with youth crime.

Perhaps, the Labor government doesn’t see regional NSW as its constituency anyway, so why bother invest political mileage into areas where its vote doesn’t matter much anyway.