Local leaders says they discussed trialing residential programs for young people in Coonamble, Brewarrina, Bourke and Walgett at a meeting with NSW Premier Chris Minns on Tuesday 28 October.

Representatives from the four shires told the Premier their ideas for tackling youth crime, including using Brewarrina's former outdoor prison, the Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre, as the first trial site.

Bourke deputy mayor Sally Davis said Mr Minns was receptive.

"For forty minutes with the Premier, I think it was well worth the trip," she said.

"I think he understood that there is probably some areas in this space that could be done better."

Representatives told Mr Minns what they felt has helped to slow youth crime in their communities, including Bourke's Maranguka program and the PCYCs in Walgett and Bourke.

However all say there is no question that more needs to be done to divert young people from criminal and anti-social activities that wreak havoc in their home towns.

Local and state political representatives also met NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon. Sally Davis (Brewarrina), Tom Stanton (Brewarrina), Jasen Ramien (Walgett), Leonie Brown (Walgett), Steven Butler (Coonamble), Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Daniel Keady (Coonamble), Donna Ausling (Walgett), Barwon MP Roy Butler, David Kirby (Brewarrina), Andrew Brown (Walgett), Mick Sheehy (Chief of Staff to Mal Lanyon). [IMAGE: supplied]

Coonamble mayor Dan Keady said there was broad agreement on three areas for action.

Immediate targeted funding for school holiday and after hours programs channeled through local councils was flagged as a short-term action with potential for good results.

Better co-ordination of ongoing funding to youth programs to prevent duplication and actively track results was also high on the list.

All delegates gave their blessing to a review of currently-funded youth services.

Third was increasing criminal responsibility for 10-13-year-olds, who the principal of doli incapaxassumes may not have enough understanding of right and wrong to commit a crime.

A NSW government said they will - "in due course" - detail a path to reforming doli incapax following an independent review of the principal, released in late October.

"The Premier seemed very involved in the process around crime prevention. He was very familiar with a lot of it. There was discussion about the proposal to encourage magistrates to refer young people who haven't committed serious crimes to residential programs, not juvie," Cr Keady said.

"It makes sense for the government to get more targeted with their funding and make sure their investment is going somewhere worthwhile."

The Premier's office confirmed that Mr Minns will have a follow up meeting with the mayors. 

The meeting followed outcry in Walgett after the local council cut opening hours at their town's pool due to an alleged assault on a lifeguard.

Barwon MP Roy Butler requested the Premier's attention to repeated incidents in Western Plains communities, and Mr Minns said in Parliament on Monday 20 October that he would accept a delegation.

"When you bring four different councils together, there's some variation in their ideas of what you can do. That doesn't mean that it's not the right thing to do.

"That just means that they have a different community where they've identified a different way of doing something," Mr Butler said on Tuesday after the meeting.

"There's been a huge focus on Moree, but the per capita crime rate in these towns is often worse than Moree.

"The Premier's listened to the comments from the mayors and GMs and deputy mayors, and I think he's keen to progress it.

"It's one of those 'watch this space' kind of things."