Thursday, 5 March 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (18:22): (2397) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Youth, and the action I seek is for the minister to commit to allocating $3 million in the 2026–‍27 state budget for a new purpose-built youth hub in the City of Whittlesea. In June 2023 the minister announced that Whittlesea City Council would receive funding through the youth hubs grant program for a feasibility study into a youth hub service. The study was completed a year later and detailed the urgent need for a dedicated youth hub that can cater to the changing needs of young people in the municipality. Local service providers say that there are four key issues facing young people in the City of Whittlesea. First, there is a growing amount of loneliness and social isolation. Second, there are significant issues with poor mental health, including conditions such as minor anxiety all the way to serious self-harm. Third, there is a problem with school refusal and behavioural issues while at school. Fourth and finally, family violence rates are increasing, leading to many other issues such as homelessness. Young people facing these issues have been intimately involved in the process of imaging and planning for a local youth hub. They have been backed by parents, support workers and community leaders, who are all calling for the state government to invest in this vital social service.

The City of Whittlesea is a recognised growth area and has one of the fastest growing populations in all of Australia. It attracts many young families who move to the area in search of the Australian dream, but they are often finding it turning into a nightmare as they struggle with the congested roads and under-resourced local services. Whittlesea council is now seeking $3 million in funding for the establishment of a new purpose-built youth hub. The city anticipates that the service would operate in a hub-and-spoke model, combining a central hub offering extensive programs and specialist support with satellite locations that will extend into the community and schools. Young people often feel disconnected and lonely when they move to a new and unfamiliar area, and a youth hub service is critical to serving the needs of the growing youth population in the area. A youth hub will help young people connect with their peers and build social skills and emotional capacity. It would deliver improved mental health outcomes by providing early-stage interventions to identify and treat issues before they become more serious and require more intensive services. The youth hub will promote social inclusion and engagement and, by catching problems early, will reduce hospitalisation rates. This is a critical social service for the Whittlesea municipality, and the government’s own feasibility study has shown how great the need is. I urge the minister to commit to provide funding for a purpose-built youth hub.