from yaprap December 2009-January 2010
by Nick Rendell
Team Leader - Youth Services
Gosford Council
Many people see their local council as an unapproachable organisation steeped in red tape and bureaucratic nonsense. While for some councils this may be true, all are run for the benefit of the community; most do it well and even fewer see community development down the list well after roads, infrastructure and water restrictions.
Gosford City Council covering an area of 1,024 square kms with over 160,000 residents lies 40 minutes north of Sydney and makes up most of the 'Central Coast'. Sitting amongst 6 directorates and over 50 service units, lies Youth Services.
Gosford City Council Youth Services comprises a team of 28 staff members across three direct services centres and outreach work. The unit overseas the Gosford Youth Council, Youth Week events, day-to-day operations, outreach work through our YES team, organisation of the Central Coast Youth Interagency as well as representing on different committees and boards. With over 5000 young people each month, our team is a busy one.
'The Hub' Youth Centre based at the Erina Fair shopping centre is an impressive entertainment venue with stadium seating, state of the art lighting and sound. Events include, Battle of the Bands, dance parties, live music, big screen movies, mixed martial arts and much more.
'The Hill' youth centre at Kariong is our largest facility and houses an indoor basketball court, computer, art and meeting rooms, canteen and kitchens. This facility also represents a community facility with Home and Community Care, local sporting clubs and Council's rec department having space within the building.
Kincumber Youth Centre boasts a large hall, meeting and art spaces and a fully equipped recording studio for use to young and old alike. An Eco-Garden adjoins the building with a diverse range of programs and project occurring throughout the year.
All three facilities have been designed to appeal to the broader community and are available for hire to community groups. All centres have large multi-media capabilities, which allows for a supplemented income stream.
The team also includes a Public Space Officer who overseas many youth events and projects out and about. The most successful project is the Youth Engagement Strategy (YES). It involves teams of youth workers together with NSW Police, rangers and other stakeholders such as liquor accords and CDATs to engage young people in known 'hotspots' in the region. By breaking down barriers with these disengaged young people, real results in decreased anti-social behaviour and rates of re-offending. This model of a holistic approach has been a marked improvement on several other researched engagement strategies in the past.
The Gosford area has a number of youth services, each with their own strengths. How does a service from a local government run?
Youth Services, sitting with the other community units, often have a 'hippie-like' image amongst the suits of local government. This can be a major drawback when we need to get serious about major issues, but can also be crucial to provide the link between the community members and the hierarchy of local government. There will always be the old council worker line and the 'why are you spending our rates on such and such?'
I would love to say that because we wear the same logo as water line maintenance staff and council rangers, we get given a few concessions, but unfortunately, we are in the same boat as the rest of the community. This does, however, provide an element of respect when we liaise with other sections over skate park design, transport issues and of course how to keep those annoying young people away from us…
The major issue that we have to deal with on a daily basis is the amount of focus a council has at any one time. I would imagine a separately funded service in the same area to have the luxury of having the entire focus of the organisation at the same place at the same time. As a council is so varied in its services, it is a constant battle to align strategies across the organisation. The old adage of it takes a meeting to set up a meeting often applies when liaising with all sections of council or any large organisation.
Then there are the councillors. Think of them as the board of directors overseeing your service. Each with their own quirks and requirements, and each with a different point of view when it comes to 'minor issues' such as youth. While the councillors have limited say in the day-to-day operations of a council, they have the ability to steer a focus and certainly push a certain agenda. I can honestly say that at present, our councillors are a fantastic bunch (just in case they read this) with a real focus on a holistic approach to a strong city. But then again, the next election is just around the corner…
A council is an ideal organisation to be heavily involved with Youth Services. A council knows the community that they serve; they have an established history and usually a well-developed financial structure. A council has the ability to become involved in the media as it has a perceived level of professionalism. Councils need to address issues, as, if done correctly, these young people will stay in the area, become ratepayers, and further contribute to the image that the community desires.
Above all, I think the perceptions of councils, at least the one I work for, are slowly changing. While there are always going to be complaints and not everyone will get their way, the majority of community members, young and old are appreciative that we are taking the initiative and spending ratepayers' money (by the way a very small percentage is actually rates) on building their community. Most services are starting to see council as a helpful ally rather than the competition.
So what can you do?
If your council has a youth services section, call them, get involved with an event, Youth Week or project. If not talk to your council, and push for them to have a greater involvement in your community.