The paper discusses issues that have emerged from 8 years of partnership between the State Government and the youth sector in Queensland in implementing programs to address the needs of young people at risk of entering the youth justice system. As a result of experience and insight developed over that time, the Government has been able to adopt a more proactive approach to developing collaborative projects targeting specific community concerns. To illustrate best practices in crime prevention, the paper examines in detail the “Ipswich Project” as an example of intersectorial collaboration to develop and implement a project with a “bottom up” approach across the community and all levels of government. The project integrated the key elements of situational and social crime prevention and early intervention to create a balanced approach to reducing youth offending within the targeted area. The paper concludes that Ipswich, as a microcosm of the State, demonstrates the effectiveness of linking all levels of youth justice intervention, from crime prevention through to post-detention services.