Redland City Council has thrown its support behind a community meeting on North Stradbroke Island, brought to its knees after arsonists torched the Dunwich post office last Saturday.
At Wednesday's council meeting, it was decided to support the August 17 summit, aimed at addressing problems such as drugs, violence, race relations, police, the justice system, unemployment and the school.
Member for Cleveland Mark Robinson, Mayor Karen Williams, acting officer-in-charge of Dunwich Police Station Senior Constable Danny Wruck and a Justice Department representative will field questions from the audience at the meeting.
Cr Williams said the council had already taken steps to help the island community and had stepped in to offer its local depot building at Dunwich as a temporary post office site.
She said council also started raffling a weekend Straddie prize package to raise money for postmaster Brian Conlon and his wife, Hetty, who was bashed during the raid on the post office.
The council will also cover printing costs to promote an island community fundraising day on Saturday, August 11.
Cr Craig Ogilvie, whose electorate covers Straddie, said island elders and vocal community members came up with the idea of a summit before the fire.
He called on the Community Services Department and police to attend the meeting, expected to be held in the Dunwich Community Hall on Friday, August 17, at 5.30pm.
Cr Ogilvie said it was important the council helped the community recover from the fire, which he said had left the island "at war with itself" and residents "angry and fearful".
Summit organiser, Bill Giles, of Dunwich, said he came up with the idea two months ago after youths were involved in a series of violent incidents on the island including a brawl after a May football match.
He said an increase in juvenile violence on the island, along with illegal drug use and the perception of leniency in sentencing for offenders, prompted him to act.
Mr Giles said he took his grievances to Mr Robinson, who said he knew Dunwich had been subjected to a "spate of crimes" and had asked Police Minister Jack Dempsey for extra resources.
"We don't expect immediate solutions but I am working with a range of people including Col Kingston, organiser of the North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group," Mr Giles said.
Island elder Aunty Joan Hendriks, a member of the Murri Court at Cleveland, said she looked forward to hearing the panel's views on the island's problems including ways to improve policing of the justice system.
"This (fire) could have been prevented and such a summit should have been held a long time ago," Aunty Joan said.
"There was a meeting two months ago about the lack of following through on directions from the courts," she said.
Anyone can attend the August 17 meeting.