A new purpose-built youth centre for the fast-growing township of Bannockburn has been made possible thanks to support from the Andrews Labor Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund.
Local Government Minister Shaun Leane and Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney have announced the Youth Hub project will receive more than $271,000 from the fund.
The Golden Plains Youth Hub will be a centre for youth services in the area and be a place for young people to make new friends, get involved in decision-making and make their voices heard.
The new youth centre is the first Golden Plains Shire Council project to benefit from the fund since its expansion to include peri-urban councils to assist these councils to bring forward critical community projects.
Through support for a wide variety of different projects like the new Youth Hub, the $25 million extention to the Growing Suburbs Fund will continue its strong record of job creation and investment in communities – an important contribution to recovery from the pandemic.
The GSF extension complements the Victorian $2.7 billion Building Works Package, which includes over $278 million in shovel-ready infrastructure projects across the state to be delivered through councils.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Growing Suburbs Fund has invested $275 million in funding 221 community projects. This has created more than 7470 jobs and leveraged more than $755 million in investment.
A full list of the successful projects is available at localgovernment.vic.gov.au/grants/growing-suburbs-fund.
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney
“It’s fantastic that the Government’s been able to expand the Growing Suburbs Fund and back a great project for our community like the Golden Plains Youth Hub in Bannockburn.”
“Golden Plains is a fast-growing area and we need to invest in places like the Youth Hub to make sure young people here have the facilities they need to thrive.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Government, Shaun Leane
“I’m really pleased the Youth Hub is the first Golden Plains Shire Council project to get support from the expanded Growing Suburbs Fund. It’s an example of a community facility that’s going to make a big difference for young people and the whole Bannockburn community.”
“The Growing Suburbs Fund has built a legacy of investment in our fastest-growing communities – creating jobs and delivering the facilities communities need to thrive. This is going to be more crucial than ever as we recover from the impact of coronavirus.”