Wednesday, 17 August 2022

Geelong youth hub

Ms COUZENS (Geelong) (10:00): Victoria’s young people have taken up the opportunity to tell the Andrews Labor government about what is important to them through the Victorian youth strategy, Our Promise, Your Future, launched last week. I want to acknowledge and thank the Minister for Youth and the past Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, the member for Sunbury, for their important work. To all of the young people who contributed, along with many youth organisations, a huge thankyou, particularly to the many Geelong young people who participated.

Young people in Geelong told us that they wanted a central youth hub. They talked about wanting a place to spend time with other young people they do not usually get to meet to learn about the many different cultural groups who live in our community and to have a conversation with Aboriginal young people and understand the past and the need for treaty. Young people with a disability talked about wanting a place to meet other young people with a disability. Young people talked about having a place to go to share jamming sessions or creative arts, with more recreational facilities, or to talk to someone about how they are feeling. Young people expressed their passion for a fairer and more equitable world. They want to have a voice, to be listened to and to see action. Well, in Geelong young people have been heard and listened to loud and clear. Geelong will be one of the first youth hub locations coming out of the strategy, exactly what young people asked for, along with the basketball court on the waterfront, recently announced. Young people are really excited about this new facility, and we are looking forward to progressing this.