Regional youth crime has been in the news again recently with several politicians not happy with the NSW Premier's new initiatives around the problem.

The Minns government introduced legislation to NSW parliament last week to toughen bail laws, along with a $26.2m package of initiatives it said would address youth offending, but Barwon MP, Roy Butler, said it was wrong to assume that young offenders would always view extended sentences as a punishment and a deterrent to antisocial behaviour.

“Some young offenders see incarceration as a rite of passage, an elevation in status among their peers,” he said. “For others, it’s an environment where they have three meals a day and a routine, something their life in the community may have lacked," Mr Butler said.

Analysis from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar), released last week, showed that in 2023 the rate of property crime in regional NSW was 59% higher than in Sydney, and the rate of violent crime in regional NSW was 57% higher than in Sydney.

Other types of crime increasing in regional NSW between 2019 to 2023, were motor vehicle theft which rose by 20%, domestic assault which increased by 24% and sexual assault which surged by 47%.

Despite Mr Butler's criticism, the Country Mayors Association (CMA) have welcomed the NSW Government's announcement with CMA Chair, Jamie Chaffey saying it was "a timely intervention."

“We are supportive of the legislative reforms focussed on youth crime and hopeful it will bring about meaningful change," Mr Chaffey said. "We urge the Government to implement these reforms as soon as possible. Regional New South Wales cannot afford to wait."

“If the minor changes to bail laws are legislated and actions such as ‘posting and boasting’ are outlawed, our hope is this will form part of the solution in reducing youth crime in regional communities.”

Craig Davies, Mayor of Narromine Shire and a member of the CMA said the juvenile crime situation was becoming untenable and, like Roy Butler, had reservations about the government's initiatives.

"In western towns, the fact is that much of the juvenile crime is being done by 10 to 14 year olds, who are not included in this new initiative," Mr Davies said.

"Unfortunately many of them see a jail term as a badge of honour, so while I agree change is welcome, the recent announcement by the government needs more fine tuning and a lot more detail to be effective."

Although supporting the initiative, CMAs Jamie Chaffey also added a cautionary take on the announcement.

“While we welcome the announcement, a parliamentary inquiry into crime and policing resources in regional NSW is still badly needed so that victims of regional crime, support workers, past and present law enforcement officers, and communities have an opportunity to share their lived experiences and offer suggested solutions to address and turn around the current situation," he said.