Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Youth Justice Jihad Dib are heading west today to announce more funding for programs in Moree as it continues working to address youth crime and to strengthen community safety.
The Premier and Minister will meet with victims of crime this morning, as well as the Miyay Birray indigenous youth service and Pius X indigenous health service.
More than $2 million in additional funding over four years will be announced to help tackle offending and support young people. The extra investment will further boost youth engagement, with a focus on reducing crime, improving family safety and supporting early childhood development. This builds on the NSW Government’s initial $13.4 million targeted response for Moree.
The funding injection comes as the NSW Government marks two important steps in the delivery of a new youth bail accommodation centre and after-hours patrols. This short-term accommodation centre will provide police and courts with more options to put a young person under supervision. The facility will also give authorities higher confidence that young people released on bail will not reoffend while their proceedings are underway.
A consortium of three local Aboriginal organisations will deliver the new centre. The alliance consists of Miyay Birray Youth Service, Pius X Aboriginal Medical Service, along with SHAE Academy.
The service will improve opportunities to divert young people away from the justice system and provide culturally appropriate support services.
“It is pleasing to see Moree locals putting their hand up to help address youth crime and improve community safety,” Premier Chris Minns said.
“This will provide police and courts with more options to put a young person on bail with higher confidence that they will not reoffend.
“These measures will help make the community safer and help young people stay on the right track.”
While the bail accommodation centre is expected to open later this year, Youth Justice NSW is also boosting resources in Moree by establishing additional temporary caseworker roles to supervise young people on bail.
Youth Justice has also appointed a provider for the Safe Aboriginal Youth (SAY) program in Moree. This contract will commence in April 2025 and continue for four years.
The program provides a safe transport and outreach service for young Aboriginal people who are on the streets late at night.
Local Aboriginal organisation SHAE Academy will provide activities and transport, supporting Aboriginal young people aged 12 to 17 years. This will ensure the Safe Aboriginal Youth program is community-led and tailored to this area.
Youth Justice has also awarded a five-year contract to Miyay Birray to run the Casework Support Program (CSP) in Moree for five years from April.
The program helps young people meet practical needs and goals as part of their case plan, such as enrolling in education, getting ID, finding work, applying for Centrelink payments, and other essential activities.
There are hopeful early signs from the Moree pilot program, but the NSW Government knows there is a long way to go.
“What we want to see for Moree is an intervention that meets community needs and expectations, helping young people stay safe and protecting the community,” Minister for Youth Justice Jihad Dib said.
“In Moree, we want to keep young people safe and help them stay out of the justice system.”
“The Safe Aboriginal Youth Program and Casework Support Program, as well as the new Moree Bail Accommodation Program, demonstrate the NSW Government’s commitment to making communities safer and helping young people stay on the right track.”
Since last year, NSW Government has surged services and resourcing in Moree and the surrounding the region, including:
- NSW Police has undertaken more than 30 surge operations in Moree over the past year, while Operation Mongoose has identified 255 offenders including 75 ringleaders.
- The appointment of a temporary, Acting Magistrate to service the New England Circuit.
- $1 million to boost after-hours activities run by SHAE Academy, Miyay Birray and the PCYC, with up to 90 young people attending each night. Providers have reported positive attendance rates, with early estimates showing at least 30 per cent of attendees have been in contact with the criminal justice system.
- 18 projects have been received more than $175,000 as part of a small grants program for community-led initiatives. With strong community interest, more than half of the funding has already allocated.
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