‘OUT OF TOUCH’: Deb slams Minister on Kingaroy youth hostel

As the Kingaroy youth hostel continues to face funding pressure, Nanango MP has expressed her deep concerns.

Deb Frecklington has raised her conerns with funding regarding the Kingaroy Youth Hostel. Photo/File

Nanango MP Deb Frecklingon has slammed the Minister of the Department of Communities Housing and Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch, stating she is ‘out of touch’ regarding Kingaroy’s youth hostel.

Mrs Frecklington met with officials from South Burnett CTC who run the youth hostel, on Wednesday February 2 to discuss the future of their facility.

Following the meeting, Mrs Frecklington told the South Burnett Times she was deeply concerned for the community if it were to lose such a valuable asset.

“It shows that the Minister and the government are clearly out of touch. It’s clear the Minister doesn’t even understand the simple fact that regional Queensland has an as high a need for services as people who are living in Brisbane,” she said.

“This area, the South Burnett has the unfortunate title of having one of the highest suicide rates in Queensland, we have one of the highest rates of homelessness, we are a low socio-economic community that’s above average when it comes to volunteer services and local provider groups like CTC and it makes me angry that the state government doesn’t understand this.

“I think it’s deeply concerning when you have six young people who should be in a safe place with supervision at night who will possibly be roaming the streets and possibly getting up to mischief cause they have got nowhere to stay.”

Youth at risk are facing sleeping in tents and swags if vital funding isn‘t secured for the South Burnett’s youth hostel.

If immediate action isn‘t taken, instead of offering at-risk youth a safe place to stay, youth workers will instead be forced to hand out tents and swags and point towards the nearest free campground.

With no other homeless services in the region, the closure of what has provided young people in the region a roof over their heads since 2001, will have devastating flow-on effects throughout the community.

Mrs Frecklington said the hostel closure would have significant ripple effects throughout the community.

“I’m quite sure the local police would agree on the possibility of an increase in crime,” she said.

“These kids are better off in supervised care and what CTC is trying to give them is a safe place and that is the reason CTC are fighting for funding.

“For many years the CTC youth hostel has been of critical importance for our region and for many years it has provided a safe place for girls and boys aged 16 to early 20s where they have been able to sleep at night in a warm bed with a belly full of food provided by the hostel.

“Many of these children are coming from very dangerous situations and for the community it is vitally important we maintain the only youth hostel in the South Burnett.”

The Times questioned the Department Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy who said they are working with CTC to understand their requirements.

“This financial year we have already provided more than $300,000 for the South Burnett CTC to provide supported accommodation at the youth hostel and mobile support for young people aged between 16 and 25 years in the South Burnett Region,” A spokesperson said.

“The department is aware of the recent request for funding from SBCTC and will continue to work with the organisation to understand their requirements for future service delivery.”

Mrs Frecklington said she will be contacting the Minister‘s office “encouraging her to open up her eyes to see what is right in her backyard“.

READ MORE: Potential hostel closure will force youth into tents, swags

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