Indigenous leaders, business owners, and service providers have met with the state government in Port Augusta to discuss and develop ways to further reduce youth antisocial behavior.
In order to hear the concerns of the locals, Human Services Minister Nat Cook, Members for Stuart Geoff Brock, and Giles Eddie Hughes attended the meeting.
A $300,000 initial commitment will be supplemented by an extra $150,000 in funds to create a youth outreach team.
While there is still work to be done, Ms. Cook claimed that they now have a greater knowledge of what the community wants.
According to her, “Community members want to feel safe, and we’re really connecting to sell a clear vision for a responsive community, a community that has solutions for a variety of people, and a community where young people can thrive.”
“We outlined certain priority areas to address that, including youth voice in the community, housing, leadership participation, and cultural identity building.
“I’m going to coordinate some of the programs for transitional housing with our housing department.
More than 80 individuals showed up for the meeting, and according to Ms. Cook, several recommended upgrading the lighting to make the streets safer.
Next month, she will return to Port Augusta to deliver a four-year plan that includes a strategy for intensive service, initiatives, and priorities.
The facilitators and members of our department will compile these comments before returning the following month with some recommendations for the next actions, according to Ms. Cook.
“I believe that the next stage actually entails hard work with young people, assisting them in developing a clearer future vision and decision-making skills.
“We have a small amount of money to invest in some other youth programs that are in the pilot stage.”
