LNP pledge to refurbish Kalyan Youth Service bedrooms if re-elected

A youth crisis centre, the only one of its kind within 700kms, could be able to accommodate more homeless kids under the LNP’s latest election promise but the manager at the coalface says more needs to be done.

Kalyan Housing Services Manager Louise O'Brien and local MP Andrew Wilcox at a press conference out the front of Kalyan youth service.

A local youth crisis accommodation centre has been promised $170,000 to refurbish its 50-year-old facility if the LNP is re-elected.

Kalyan Youth Services, the only emergency housing centre of its kind in a 700km radius, is funded under the state’s Department of Housing to accommodate 12 people – six in their units and six in shelters.

In the past year, Kalyan has seen 267 rough sleepers between 16 and 25 years old seek shelter in one of its 12 beds.

This lack of accommodation meant up to 80 per cent of clients were turned away.

The lack of services in the region has also left a gap for 15-year-olds searching for crisis accommodation who cannot link with Kalyan Youth Services nor CASA due to age requirements.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Kalyan house is funded under the Crisis Accommodation Program which injects funds to either purchase units, or houses, or to utilise state owned land to build purpose-built facilities.

Early last year, the centre received a 20 per cent uplift to their services through the Specialist Homelessness Services funding under the State Labor Government allowing more recruitment to its service.

But last month Kalyan Housing Services Manager Louise O’Brien called for more “purpose-built facilities on a location close to our youth service”.

“It purely comes down to there not being enough accommodation available to house young people who are requiring it,” she said.

While the new funding would open up a second bedroom in the six units bringing the number up to 12, that wouldn’t necessarily mean more people going through straight away, she explained.

The Kalyan Youth Service units that will get funding from Andrew Wilcox and the Coalition if elected. April 10, 2025

“The main point of the renovation is to get the facility up to standard, to make them modern, to make them nice and to make them more homey,” she said.

“At the moment they are very much a safe place for the young people to be residing in.

“But given their age, refurbishments need to take place.

“We do then have the ability to increase bed space.”

LNP Member for Dawson Andrew Wilcox welcomed the commitment as a “hand-up” to youth who were facing homelessness.

“I think we need to be having a look at every single thing that we can do to unlock those extra beds and extra bed spaces,” Mr Wilcox said on Thursday.

“The refurbishment of this building will straight away allow from six people to 12.”

Labor candidate for Dawson Neil Wallace didn’t commit to matching the $170,000 commitment but did say Labor would continue its focus on bringing 1.2 million new homes to the country in five years.

Hours later, in the Mackay CBD, Mr Wilcox continued his commitment spree by pledging $50,000 to the Masonic Centre on Wood Street.

Mackay Masonic Chairman Bill Boyd and MP Andrew Wilcox in front of the Masonic Centre. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Mr Wilcox said the building was in desperate need of upgrades as “the current electrical switchboard is full of asbestos and the roof is

leaking”.

Inside the Mackay Masonic Centre on Wood Street. Photo: Fergus Gregg

The funding will go toward refurbishing two electrical switchboards, maintaining the iconic Wood St facing facade and upgrading the roof.

Mackay Masonic Chairman Bill Boyd said the Mackay Freemasons have owned the property for 100 years and the commitment will help the

Masonic Centre continue to serve the community.

The Mackay Freemasons give donations to local charities on a “dollar-by-dollar” basis according to Mr Boyd and they raised money for leukaemia accommodation in Townsville as well as contributed $30,000 to bring a sleep bus to Mackay.