Kate Worden
Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing
Media Release
Budget 2022: A Youth Hub and Drop in Centre for Darwin's Northern Suburbs
5 May 2022
A youth hub and drop in centre will be established in the Northern Suburbs with a $6 million boost by the Territory Labor Government in Budget 2022.
The hub and outreach service will keep kids safe and off the streets, provide safe transport home, night patrols, and education.
The first $400,000 will be allocated in the 2022 Budget, with a further $1.5 million per annum provided in ongoing funding from 2023 to operate the centre.
This additional $6 million will establish a youth hub and drop-in centre in the Northern Suburbs as the base for delivering a range of activities and wrap-around support services for young people.
The first tranche of $400,000 will go towards the expansion of youth services, safe transport and the development of the service delivery model for the Northern Suburbs Youth Hub.
Establishment of the hub in the Northern Suburbs will take into consideration where young people go to school, congregate and access public transport. Community and sector consultation will assist in identifying the essential requirements for a youth hub that has broad community support, with work continuing to identify a suitable site for the hub and to develop a youth outreach and engagement program for the service.
Once design and delivery requirements are finalised, the $1.5 million ongoing funding will go towards the delivery of the youth hub and outreach service delivery model.
The SHAK continues to operate their youth outreach and engagement activities in Darwin's Northern Suburbs with around 30 young people utilising the service each day. A new youth hub will be able to cater for more than 80 young people, and will be complemented by other outreach services.
The outreach program and hub will be run by a service provider and will:
· Keep kids safe, off the streets and with safe transport home, night patrols, and education.
· Teaching and learning with young people - providing access to mentors and employment opportunities, digital equipment, training and skills for now and the future.
· Caring for young people to keep them strong - through family support, workforce development and connection to country and culture.
· Listening to young people - training and support to develop young people into young leaders.
Quotes from Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing, Kate Worden:
"The Territory Labor Government knows how important it is to have safe and engaging places for young people in Darwin's Northern Suburbs to go.
"Budget 2022 is doing that - we are investing an immediate $400,000 in additional funding towards the development of an expanded youth services and outreach model in the Northern Suburbs.
"Further work will be done in consultation with the sector, young people and community to find the right location for a youth hub which will be accessible to as many young people as possible."
Northern Territory Government
