FREE
Your independent community newspaper - Ph: 4325 7369
February 7, 2014
Issue 39
Coalition renege on San Remo centre funding ederal Member for Shortland Ms Jill Hall said she was devastated that the Coalition Government would not be funding the new youth support centre at San Remo.
F
Ms Hall received news this week that the Abbott Government was refusing to honour a funding commitment to build the Gulgul Barang Youth Support Centre in San Remo – despite the funds being allocated in the budget prior to the last election. “The former Labor Government committed $2.7 million to build the Gulgul Barang Youth Support Centre last year,” said Ms Hall. “This was real money that was allocated in the budget papers and a DA was due to be lodged shortly. “Yet now the Federal Minister Warren Truss is refusing to honour that funding commitment, so the new centre can no longer go ahead. “So many people put so much hard work into the proposal for this project. “It would have been a major boost for the region and a significant support centre for young people in the northern areas of Wyong Shire. “I am devastated that this project is not being supported by the Coalition Government. “It was such a
worthwhile project and would have helped so many young people in the area. “It would have offered support with employment training, skills development, health care, cultural engagement and mentoring. “The Federal Minister claims the project could not go ahead because it was due to be funded through proceeds from the Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT). “But this is simply not true. “When the former Federal Labor Government announced funding for the project last year it was not reliant on money from the MRRT. “The project was fully funded through the budget process with projections that came out of Treasury. “It was also announced prior to the caretaker period. “The Coalition Government has simply chosen not to support this region and to turn its back on services in the northern suburbs of Wyong Shire.” The Gulgul Barang
We
Centre was proposed by a community partnership involving the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, the San Remo Neighbourhood Centre, Central Coast Medicare Local, Youth Connections, ET Australia and the local advisory group of Better Futures, Local Solutions. Darkinjung LALC also donated the land where the new centre was due to be built. San Remo Neighbourhood Centre manager Jillian Hogan said she was also disappointed that the centre no longer had government support. “We desperately need this new Gulgul Barang Centre because existing services are already so stretched,” she said. “How can we build our service delivery in the north of the Shire when we don’t have the infrastructure to support it?” Darkinjung LALC CEO Mr Sean Gordon said he was disappointed the centre did not receive funding. “This project was set to bring about much needed infrastructure
Federal Member for Shortland Jill Hall MP, with CEO of Darkinjung LALC Sean Gordon and Manager of the San Remo Neighbourhood Centre Jillian Hogan, discussing plans
to address critical factors within our region including social exclusion, youth dislocation from informal support networks and poor public transport for training and education. “While we feel let down by this latest development, we are
exploring other avenues to rectify the situation, with hope that all is not lost. “Clearly the needs of the community outweigh any political agenda. “Given the growing population of the North Wyong area, there is a huge need for community infrastructure that
supports the growing demands of the community in the form of employment, education, training and health,” said Mr Gordon. Media release, 6 Feb 2014 Sean Gordon, Darkinjung LALC Media release, 6 Feb 2014 Lisa McDermott, Office of Jill Hall MP
the Wyong Shire