Youth Centre

In June 2023, the Victorian Government announced a grant to complete a feasibility study for a dedicated Youth Centre in the City of Whittlesea. This study was completed in July 2024, demonstrating the urgent need for dedicated funding to deliver a Youth Centre through a ‘Hub and Spoke’ model to support the growing youth population.

With a large and growing population of children, teenagers and young adults, our municipality needs dedicated spaces where young people can feel supported, connected and empowered to reach their potential.

The City of Whittlesea is advocating for investment in a dedicated Youth Centre that can provide safe and welcoming spaces, programs and services for young people across the municipality.

By investing in youth infrastructure now, government partners can help respond to the needs of a rapidly growing community and support better outcomes for young people and families. Our young people deserve places designed with them, for them.

According to local service providers, there are four major issues impacting young people in the City of Whittlesea. These include:

• social isolation and loneliness
• poor mental health, ranging from relatively minor anxieties to serious conditions such as disordered eating and self-harm
• disengagement from school, including reported school refusal and behavioural issues in school
• higher family violence rates leading to a range of other issues for young people, such as homelessness.

These factors are further compounded in many parts of the municipality where community members experience high levels of disadvantage. Agencies and organisations that work with young people in the City of Whittlesea have reported social isolation, alongside remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, meant young people were developing fewer social cues, having trouble finding their “tribe” or building networks, and experiencing loneliness despite being busy.