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AAP
AAP
Politics
John Crouch

Queensland boosts financial help for victims of crime

The Queensland government has been under pressure to provide more support for victims of crime. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Queensland victims of crime and their families are being given a financial boost as part of a "substantial" government support package.

More than $200 million across five years will go towards financial assistance for victims of crime, support services and more staff to process applications.

Another $18 million will help establish the newly created Victims' Commissioner office.

"I want to say very clearly that the government has listened," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters on Thursday.

"We know that government needs to do more and that victims need to be front and centre."

Ms Palaszczuk said the government needed to adopt a community recovery approach with victims and give them hands-on support to help people recover and rebuild their lives.

The upper cap for financial assistance for victims will be reset from $75,000 to $120,000 and payments under the relevant legislation will be increased, including for funeral expenses and distress.

The government has been under increasing pressure over youth crime, with community advocates demanding tougher measures for offenders and more support for victims.

The package follows a protest outside parliament last month and meetings between advocates and the government.

The premier said she and Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath had met interim Victims' Commissioner Jon Rouse, who intends to travel throughout the state to listen to victims of crime and raise awareness about available assistance.

Ms D'Ath said the funding was a "significant uplift".

"And with that comes an uplift in resources across (government agency) Victims Assist Queensland to deal with the large volume of applications that we have been getting," she said.

Ms D'Ath stressed applications had increased because more victims of crime were seeking support, not because the number of victims had increased.

The measures will be introduced in amendments to parliament next month.

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