15 March 2024
Labor Shuts Doors on Townsville’s At-Risk Youth
A youth hub funded by the Federal Government to provide at-risk youth a place to drop in, connect with culture and support services, and stay off the streets is at risk of shutting its doors after the program it was funded under was cut by the Albanese Labor Government.
Community Gro’s Garbutt Youth Hub was started in 2022 after Herbert MP Phillip Thompson secured federal funding under the former Coalition Government’s Safer Communities Program.
The Albanese Labor Government abolished the Safer Communities Program in its first budget, and with no other funding options on the table, the hub is set to close later this year when the two-year funding term expires.
Mr Thompson has visited the hub – which has helped support more than 80 young people – on several occasions and seen first-hand the benefits it brings to the lives of the young people who participate, and said it would be a major loss for Townsville.
“To see a hub that at its core is a safe space for more than 80 of our young people close its doors is not only a huge loss to those young people, but also the entire local community,” he said.
“From participants learning valuable life skills, to gaining full-time employment, this program has been a major success, keeping youth engaged and off the streets.”
Mr Thompson is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to bring back the Safer Communities Program and keep early intervention programs like this hub up and running.
“The success of this hub alone is reason enough for the government to reinstate the program, and the Coalition has already committed to doing just that.
“I have written to the Minister for Home Affairs asking her to reinstate the fund now, so early intervention programs like Community Gro’s Youth Hub can continue to deliver great results.”
ENDS