Representatives and leaders of local community groups and organisations met to discuss youth community safety on February 2 at Jasmine Greens in the Peninsula Recreation Precinct.
State Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch, Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks and Jessica Bradbury from Brisbane Water Local Area Command met with representatives from Umina United, Umina Community Group, Umina Markets, Coast Community Youth services and RYSS Indigenous Youth Justice Support team.
Discussions remain ongoing but the meeting was said to be ‘constructive’.
Tesch said the meeting was a positive step towards addressing the need for more support services for young people on the Peninsula to tackle anti-social behaviour.
“Our community has some concerns about the anti-social behaviour which has really been brought to the boil due to COVID,” Tesch said.
“We want local community organisations, the police and Governments of all tiers to recognise that this is the symptom of large structural inequities in our community, and we must come together to face these problems head-on.”
Tesch said young people in the community have been hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID has really robbed our young people of so much,” Tesch said.
“Their education has been hugely disrupted, they lost their ability to play competitive sport and they’ve been unable to meet with friends or see really important family members.
“Many of these kids have lost so many rites of passage which are so important to understanding your role in our community and how we should all respect and support one other.
“Many of our young people are missing out on growing up experiences which we all had and take for granted.”
Maisy Rae