Australia's defence wake-up call
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Townsville businesses speak on public drunkenness as Queensland government looks to re-criminalise it
The Queensland government has flagged re-criminalising public drunkenness in a bid to curb what it says is a surge in antisocial behaviour, less than a year after it was decriminalised. Queensland became the final state in Australia to decriminalise public drunkenness, more than 30 years after it was first recommended by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Premier David Crisafulli this week held a forum in the largest city in north Queensland — Townsville — a city he once described as crime ground-zero to listen to community concerns. A walk down Townsville's main street paints a nuanced picture, with views mixed among business operators and community leaders on how best to make the CBD safer and more attractive to visitors. It's a quiet weekday afternoon when foot traffic should be busy. Shop owner Lucy Downes said she now worked seven days a week because it was harder to find staff wanting to work in the CBD. "It is not a family-friendly environment when you have people brawling and yelling," Ms Downes said. "Especially when there's substance abuse involved. That can be intimidating and scary for staff to witness." Ms Downes backed the state government's move to possibly re-criminalise public drunkenness, but said harsh punishment was not the solution to substance abuse. "It is a very complicated problem … it's good to look towards the bigger picture," she said. When public drunkenness was decriminalised last year, it brought Queensland into line with every other state and territory. The legislative change allowed for an intoxicated person to be taken to a place of safety. But, walking into a meeting with community and business leaders, Mr Crisafulli said it was a retrograde step. "We certainly won't be ruling [re-criminalising] out." Queensland Police statistics show that while the total number of crimes in Townsville has risen steadily over the past 10 years, good order offences, including public nuisance offences, have dropped. Business owners stressed the CBD was still a good place to visit and that police had been working hard recently to keep order. Pauline Jackson said she felt safe at the newsagency she had run on Townsville's Flinders Street for 18 years. Ms Jackson said criminalising public drunkenness would discourage people from poor behaviour. She said more consistent policing was needed. "As soon as you drop it off, antisocial behaviour comes back," she said. "It does keep people away." Marg Cox is often greeted by the smell of urine on her morning walk to her job as the operator of a sandwich shop on Flinders Street. Ms Cox said practical solutions were the best approach. "They need more public toilets in the city; the closest toilet is over the bridge, not in the area," Ms Cox said. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service principal legal officer Greg Shadbolt warned any move to bring back public intoxication laws would target the state's most marginalised people. The service said 2020–2021 statistics demonstrated Queensland Police were 11 times more likely to pursue public order offences against Indigenous people compared to the rest of the population. "If the park is your home and you're not doing anything wrong, other than just drinking, you could potentially be arrested," he said. "If anyone does make a nuisance of themselves in the public arena, police can still arrest them for a whole plethora of charges." Birrigubba elder and academic Gracelyn Smallwood said outlawing public drunkenness would be a backward step, risking more Aboriginal deaths in custody. "I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Professor Smallwood said. Professor Smallwood said alcohol abuse should never be dealt with by locking people up. "All the organisations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous that are receiving money for drunkenness and homelessness should all be collaborating," she said. Additional consultation sessions are being planned for Townsville, Maryborough, Cairns and Mackay.
SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Filipino, Saturday 26 July 2025
There are growing calls for Australia's childcare subsidy to include more care options. Australia and the United Kingdom are set to sign a 50-year defence treaty today Supreme Court dismisses impeachment complaint against VP Sara Duterte, citing constitutional violation of one-year ban. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST SBS Filipino 26/07/2025 06:25 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
Daily Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Video shows US Army testing new missiles in Australia
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. In a milestone moment, the US Army has conducted a live-fire test of its precision strike missiles in Australia, the first ever west of the international dateline. The test on Friday (US time), seen in footage obtained by Fox News Digital, marks a significant advancement in the region's long-range strike capabilities. The precision strike missile (PrSM) has an unclassified range of 300 miles (about 480km) and can hit moving targets on land or at sea, Fox News reports. The test saw a US-manufactured PrSM launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle owned by the Australian Defence Force. It was a show of force between the US and Australia at a time of increasing tension in the Indo-Pacific. The US Army conducted the live-fire test of its precision strike missiles on Friday (US time). Picture: Fox News/US Army A US-manufactured PrSM was launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle owned by the Australian Defence Force. Picture: Fox News/US Army 'This is just one of the key steps we're taking throughout the region to deter conflict, while ensuring that our soldiers have the best capabilities available,' said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who observed the test at the Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia. 'The PrSM allows our forces to hold land and maritime regions at risk, which gives adversaries pause and increases deterrence.' The PrSM is the US Army's newest addition to its long-range precision fires (LRPF) portfolio, a triad of advanced strike systems that includes HIMARS-launched missiles, the mid-range capability platform and the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile. While HIMARS has already proven itself in combat zones like Ukraine, where its ability to rapidly fire and evade counter-attack has made it a prized system, the integration of the PrSM into this platform significantly enhances its strategic utility. The test marks a significant advancement in the region's long-range strike capabilities. Picture: Fox News/US Army The mobile launcher can be deployed from C-17 and C-130 aircraft, a U.S. Navy landing craft and even from ships at sea, a capability tested in joint drills with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Unlike the 90-mile-range Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS), which fires six missiles per HIMARS, the PrSM packs two missiles per launcher and can reach more than triple the distance. Asked why the missiles were an important part of preparation for a potential war in the Indo-Pacific, Driscoll told reporters, 'I think if you look at the way conflict is unfolding now, what is not being rewarded is large, massive presences with static locations and big footprints and signatures. What is being rewarded is the ability to be agile, hide your signature and move quickly.' The PrSM is the US Army's newest addition to its long-range precision fires (LRPF) portfolio. Picture: Fox News/US Army Fielding of HIMARS continues across the US Indo-Pacific Command, with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii recently receiving 16 launchers, a first for a light infantry division tasked with jungle and archipelagic warfare. Officials say they are looking to increase munitions production with key allies. The test comes after it was revealed the Pentagon privately pressed Australia to define how it might help if war broke out over a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Australia responded by stressing it would not commit troops in advance of any conflict. Australia does not permit permanent foreign military bases, but the US is expanding its rotational presence at Australian sites. Australia and the US recently led a major joint exercise in Sydney involving 30,000 troops from 19 countries. It also comes at a time when Washington is reconsidering whether to sell nuclear-powered, Virginia-class submarines to Sydney through the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) deal. The three nations would jointly design a new class of submarines, with Australian production beginning in the 2040s. This article originally appeared in Fox News and has been reproduced with permission. Originally published as Footage shows US Army testing new precision strike missiles in Australia
