The Queensland Government yesterday introduced new legislation to Parliament aimed at strengthening youth bail monitoring and expanding the use of GPS tracking across the state. The proposed Youth Justice (Electronic Monitoring) Amendment Bill 2025 seeks to make electronic monitoring a permanent fixture within the state’s justice system and extend its application to more young offenders. The government asserts the reforms are designed to curb youth reoffending and are focused on “restoring safety where you live” by holding young offenders accountable.

The push for expanded monitoring is supported by government claims that GPS electronic monitoring has demonstrated an ability to reduce reoffending by up to 24 per cent. However, the new legislation follows two previous Labor government trials, which critics noted saw limited results, with tracking devices fitted to only four young offenders during the initial year.

Challenges to Implementation

Youth advocates, while seeing electronic monitoring devices as a preferable alternative to youth detention, warn that significant practical challenges must be addressed.

Katherine Hayes, CEO of the Brisbane-based Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC)—a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to increasing young people’s access to justice—pointed out difficulties related to infrastructure and housing stability. Young people who do not have access to a safe and stable home often experience difficulties charging the devices, which require 4G phone and internet access to function properly.

Hayes also stressed the importance of obtaining consent, arguing that “Having the child’s consent for any youth justice order will lead to better outcomes in terms of behaviour change and reduction of re-offending”.

Context: Recent Youth Crime Charges

The debate over expanded electronic monitoring comes as police charged a teenage boy following investigations into two recent armed robberies. Just before 2 am yesterday, police were called to O’Grady Drive at Paradise Point concerning a break and enter, during which a group of armed individuals gained entry and stole a 2023 grey Mercedes Benz GLE53.

Police attending the scene located a 41-year-old male occupant with minor facial injuries and a wound to his left arm.

A 15-year-old Labrador boy has since been charged with fifteen offences. These charges include three counts of enter dwelling with intent, two counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and facing masked or disguised with intent to commit an indictable offence, and one count each of armed robbery, enter dwelling and commit, enter premises, and attempted enter premises. The boy is scheduled to appear at the Southport Children’s Court today.