Elderly Queenslanders are living in fear of criminal gangs on the Gold Coast after the Labor government repealed the state's controversial anti-bikie laws, the opposition claims.
The Palaszczuk government's alternative provisions passed late on Tuesday night with support of the two Katter's Australian Party (KAP) crossbenchers.
They will largely replace the Newman government's anti-bikie laws that were introduced after the now-infamous Gold Coast brawl by gang members in September 2013.
Liberal National Party leader Tim Nicholls said his party was "incredibly disappointed" at what he perceived as a watering-down of current provisions.
"No doubt we will see the bikies on the border coming back into Queensland," Mr Nicholls said on Wednesday.
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"No doubt we'll start seeing the crime rate increasing. No doubt the people of the Gold Coast - who experienced first hand the threat of these criminal bikie gangs - will start wondering what this government is doing to protect them in their homes."
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek went further.
"There are elderly people who are living in fear at the Gold Coast because they're concerned about what's happening in areas like Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise if these criminal gangs are back."
Both Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath denied the government had to make any concessions to the KAP to secure support.
"I sat down with the cross benchers and went through the detail of the legislation and what it means and how it would work and that these are good laws for this state," Ms D'Ath said.
"The difference between the cross bench and the opposition is the cross bench also talked to stakeholders."
Mr Nicholls also claimed he was recently approached by a "senior lawyer", who he declined to name, concerned about the return of bikie gangs.
"His comment to me was this; 'the standover tactics have started already'," Mr Nicholls said, referring to business owners.
The government argues its laws will allow law enforcement authorities to tackle a wider range of criminality, including child sex offences and boiler room fraud.
