THE Opposition continues to push for strong legislative reform to deal with the regional youth crime crisis across the state, as NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders visited Moree on Monday after the Coalition’s Crimes Legislation Amendment (Youth Crime) Bill 2025 was introduced to Parliament at the end of last month.

Mr Saunders joined Member for the Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan in Moree to meet police and victims in Moree and discuss the proposed changes.

The Bill will offer stronger measures than Labor’s changes to the Bail Act by expanding the definition of repeat offences beyond serious break and enter and motor vehicle theft, to include all serious indictable offences like murder or sexual assault; introduce electronic monitoring and a mandatory curfew as conditions of bail; revoke bail if there is a breach of the bail conditions, if another charge is laid while on bail, or if there is any interference with the electronic monitoring device; and elevate the voice of victims in the court through the use of victim impact statements.

Mr Saunders said it will provide swift and decisive action.

“Moree is certainly a place that’s really important for everyone in regional New South Wales as an example of where things can turn around, and we’ve seen that with crime rates definitely across the board coming back into a bit more of a realistic position,” Mr Saunders said.

“But, at the same time the NSW Nationals and Liberals have come up with a plan around a new bail Bill that we think will make a difference and really support police across regional New South Wales far more thoroughly than they are at the moment.

“Our new bail Bill has been introduced into parliament and we’ll be debating that Bill in May, and part of it around making sure the people on bail are given far stricter conditions than they ever have been before.”

Mr Saunders said some of the conditions will involve a curfew as well as electronic monitoring and revocation of bail for all serious, indictable offences if they occur while someone is on bail.

The new Bill also asks that the use of victim impact statements in courts be introduced.

NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders and Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan in Moree on Monday.

“Crime is a big problem right across our regions and we know that victims of crime need to be considered far more than they have been,” Mr Saunders said.

“That’s why another part of our Bill is victim impact statements, where a victim of crime can actually report to the court the feelings and emotional trauma that they’ve been through in either a written statement or actually appearing in court.

“We know that people need to feel like they are being listened to, and that the police are not only doing their job, but the courts are doing their jobs as well.

“There’s plenty more work that needs to be done and whilst Moree has been a pilot fore the current government, we don’t think the bail laws have gone far enough,” Mr Saunders said.

Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan said the Bill seeks to give victims of crime a greater voice during the sentencing process.

“I think for too long victims haven’t had the opportunity to tell the court and to tell the magistrate about the impact on them, and this is one small step in the right direction to give victims a greater voice,” Mr Moylan said.

“The Bill will also introduce mandatory obligations on bail for serious repeat offenders if the court grants bail to such offenders.

“We’re looking at processes such as electronic monitoring and also mandatory curfews.

“Again, it’s a small step, but a step in the right direction that I think all of regional New South Wales needs,” he said.

Mr Moylan said youth crime is not just a Moree problem.

“It’s a regional New South Wales problem and the intent of the Bill is to help all vulnerable communities,” he said.

“I’m pleased to have been involved in the process of developing our strategy and look forward to the Bill being debated in Parliament next month.”

Mr Moylan said the Bill builds on his initial private member’s Bill.

“This crisis is the number one thing people in the regions are talking about right now and it’s becoming worse and worse by the day,” he said.

“Our team of Nationals MPs have been fighting to make their communities safe again, and we have been working hard as a Coalition to come up with changes that can actually deliver that.”