New youth drop-in centre to open in Alice Springs on trial basis, Territory Families Minister Kate Worden announces
A 24-HOUR youth drop-in centre will be trialled in Alice Springs from this week, Territory Families Minister Kate Worden has announced.
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TERRITORY Families Minister Kate Worden has revealed a 24-hour youth drop-in centre will be trialled in Alice Springs from this week..
“From Friday, November 20, the Youth Outreach and Re-Engagement Team Hub will be open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights as a place for our youth to go,” Ms Worden confirmed to the NT News.
“From the beginning of the school holidays this service will go to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The 24/7 service will be a trial period, after which the department will conduct a review to determine the long-term viability of the centre.
A spokeswoman for the Minister would not confirm the total budget allocated to the trial, but said it would be funded with existing departmental resources.
The Youth Outreach and Re-Engagement Team Hub is located near the base of Anzac Hill. It’s a site that Blair McFarland, operations manager for Tangentyere Council’s Central Australian Youth Link Up Service, has identified as an ideal spot for the centre.
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“It’s got a large rec room. It’s got showers, a kitchen, washing machines, and a bunch of smaller rooms, too,” Mr McFarland said.
“It’s a resource-rich place that’s ready to go. All it needs is political will to get going.”
Mr McFarland supports the idea of a 24/7 youth centre in Alice, saying the operational hours of existing youth programs are inadequate.
“The existing youth programs mostly don’t open ‘til the afternoons. These programs might be able to get funding from the government to open earlier, but certainly not all day,” he said.
“Youth Outreach and Re-Engagement officers walk around on the street at night and engage with young people, but right now they don’t have anywhere to take them late at night.”
Ms Worden has confirmed that “an extension of hours is currently being considered” for Gap Youth Centre and Tangentyere’s Brown Street centre.
“Young people should be safe at home with their families at night. That’s why we have a significant amount of services in place to support young people and their families,” she said.
“We’ve put more resources into tackling crime in Alice Springs than any other government – we absolutely understand Alice Springs still has its issues and we know there is still more work to do.”
Youth crime has been an ongoing concern for the people of Alice Springs.
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