Tuesday, 18 June 2024

South-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (14:04): (916) My question is to the Minister for Health, and I ask the minister: days before our new crime statistics are to be revealed, why has there been a $1.85 million funding cut to youth crime prevention and the Youth Support and Advocacy Service in Dandenong, which will see 11 workers lose their jobs and deny 330 at-risk young people and their families the help they need? This organisation provides early intervention programs and services to at-risk youth in the south-east. Cutting this funding, which is one-third of the service’s allocation, means that there will be hundreds of young people between the ages of 10 and 17 who are at risk of reoffending. Official crime stats show there were 607 offenders aged 10 to 17 in the Greater Dandenong area last year – a 26 per cent increase – and that is the second-highest level in eight years. The Age reported that the Victorian government has denied it is a funding cut, arguing that its initial allocation of funds was a one-off pandemic supplement, but this has been disputed and is not the issue here.