Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham) (13:26): I would like to highlight the outstanding work of 1000 Generations in Melbourne’s north-west. Across communities in Brimbank, Wyndham and Melton, 1000 Generations has established a vital youth community hub through its safe spaces program. These welcoming drop-in centres provide our young people with a place where they feel safe, supported and truly heard. Every week at places like Sydenham Library, young people gather to share a free sausage and a cupcake, and through this interaction they find mentorship, lifelong skills training, job readiness programs and positive connections with police, educators and community leaders, and from time to time they even get a free haircut there. These are not just spaces, they are lifelines. They are reducing youth crime, rebuilding trust and giving young people at risk a real pathway to a brighter future. As the organisation so powerfully puts it, if one person can change a life, then a village can change 1000 generations. It is so important that this organisation receives the funding it needs to keep these doors open and continue transforming lives across the north-west. Without it, hundreds of vulnerable young people will lose the opportunity for support and safe spaces. That is why giving them the resources they need to continue and expand their work is absolutely vital. It ensures that young people and our communities continue to benefit from the vital work of 1000 Generations.