Night-time safe spaces, an outdoor movie theatre and native gardening programs are among the local projects to share in almost $5 million of grants to help tackle youth crime and strengthen community safety.
The grants from the Minns Labor Government's new Community Safety Investment Fund are part of more than $124 million committed to youth crime and diversion programs to help keep young people out of the justice system.
We know communities, especially in regional NSW, have been doing it tough when it comes to youth crime, and these grants are about backing local solutions that make a real difference on the ground. Over the last three years, the Government has introduced a range of preventative measures to address youth crime in the regions.
The Fund provides grants totalling up to $5 million over two years to deliver locally focused, community led solutions that prevent or respond to youth offending, strengthen families and improve community safety.
Some of the other initiatives being supported include safe driving lessons, fishing workshops, employment pathways and life skills.
Across regional NSW, recipients of the first stream of grants (up to $40,000 for one-off initiatives delivered in under 12 months) include:
- $25,000 for the Strong Ways Program by the Cowra Information & Neighbourhood Centre
- $14,272 for the Wilcannia Outdoor Movie Theatre - Building Stronger Futures Together
- $40,000 for Cultural Fishing and Development Workshops in Nambucca Heads
- $40,000 for the Doobai Bush Food Youth Program in Byron Shire.
Recipients of the second stream of grants (up to $300,000 for larger initiatives that will be delivered over two years) include:
- $298,600 for the BackTrack Night Crew in Armidale, for Sustaining a Proven After-Hours Youth Safety Program with Safe Spaces.
- $292,875 for the Gamilaroi Youth Strengthening and Safety Program for the Liverpool Plains in Tamworth
- $299,726 for the Yinaarr-dhuul-gal ngaarr (Strong Young Women) program by the Walgett Youth Wellbeing Service
- $242,460 for the Boys to the Bush Strong and Connected Regional Youth in Wagga Wagga
Full details of the grants are available on the Youth Justice NSW website.
Youth Justice Minister Jihad Dib announced the grants today in Tamworth after visiting the new Maruma-Li Walaay youth bail accommodation now operating in Moree.
This $8.7 million program provides an innovative, culturally safe environment for young people on bail in Moree, with a focus on Aboriginal young people.
The home is operated by a consortium of local Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations, with support from Youth Justice NSW.
Maruma-Li Walaay can accommodate up to four young people at a time who are on police or court bail and cannot be safely accommodated at home, ensuring they have a suitable, supportive and supervised place to stay.
Minister for Youth Justice, Jihad Dib said:
"The Community Safety Investment Fund grants are another important way the NSW Government is supporting young people and their families, while strengthening community safety across NSW.
"When young people are given the right support early, it can change their path, and that's exactly what these local organisations are working to do. We're helping both young people and their families to re-engage with education, training or employment through programs which are locally designed and delivered.
"We know any time spent in custody can have a lasting negative effect on young people, which is why bail accommodation facilities like Moree's new Maruma-Li Walaay are so important. By providing young people in northwest NSW with safe, secure and supervised accommodation, the courts and police have options that do not involve custody and can help reduce the risk of reoffending.
"Long-term, we want to see fewer young people interacting with the criminal justice system as we work to protect community safety by delivering consequences as well as opportunities for young people to change course."
Secretary of Department of Communities and Justice, Michael Tidball said:
"The Community Safety Grants scheme is an important way the Department of Communities and Justice can connect local providers with at-risk young people to help them before they come into contact with the justice system, which is good for the whole community. By keeping these programs locally focused we are empowering communities to take action to help their local young people and make the communities safer.
"Working more closely with Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations is a major part of the Department of Communities and Justice program to provide services for Aboriginal young people and other at-risk youth. Maruma-Li Walaay shows how effective a partnership between the Aboriginal community and Government can be."
