The Western Australian government will build a dedicated residential facility to house at-risk youth on country in the Kimberley as part of its latest attempt to tackle the region's youth crime crisis.
The $15 million proposal is the headline item from a $40 million package of measures announced by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan and Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk in Broome on Tuesday.
The government said the facility, which it aims to have up and running by early 2023, will be an alternative to detention for young offenders, giving them the opportunity to engage in structured work and learning.
Under the plan being considered, the facility will be an alternative to detention, both at the time a young person is charged or convicted,as well as an option for post-sentence rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.
The announcement comes amidst ongoing controversies over conditions at WA's Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre and suggestions it was failing its role to properly rehabilitate the youths being sent there.
Ms MacTiernan said a number of proposals for the new facility were being considered, but a proposal based on Myroodah Station in the central Kimberley, operated by the Aboriginal-owned Kimberley Agriculture and Pastoral Company, looks to be the front-runner.
"We are looking at doing this in conjunction with Aboriginal-led entities on a pastoral property where kids are given the opportunity to work and learn new skills," she said.
"It is quite clear that we need to have some alternatives to detention and to Banksia Hill here in the Kimberley.
The government has also committed an additional $500,000 to expand other local "safe place" accommodation proposals across the Kimberley.
"The idea is that we have [the new facility] some distance from town where there are opportunities for employment, training, and rehabilitation," Ms MacTiernan said.
"But where conscious we do need other facilities closer to towns — whether that's Kununurra, Derby, or Broome — there's funding there to finance that work."
An additional $3 million has been promised to support night patrols and youth services in Broome.
A $2 million Kimberley Community Action Fund will also be set up to provide grants of up to $100,000 for local youth engagement and crime prevention programs.
Current approaches not working
The suite of announcements comes nearly three months after the announcement of Operation Regional Shield which saw extra police and resources dispatched to the Kimberley following escalating criminal violence and attacks on local police officers and businesses.
It is also more than five years since the government first committed to the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy.
But Ms MacTiernan rejected suggestions the government had been too slow to act.
"There has been work done. There is constant refinement of programs and new programs," she said.
"What we have recognised is that in the last six months or so there has been an escalation of the problem.
The government has also pledged $11.7 million to extend the Kimberley Schools Project and $4.3 million to extend the Target 120 program to Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, and Derby.
Ms McGurk said Target 120, which sees agency staff working directly with at-risk youth between the ages of 10 and 14 and their families, was already producing positive results in Kununurra.
"These young people will have had numerous interactions with police, but not be so far advanced in their habits that they've wound up in youth detention," Ms McGurk said.
"We're starting to address some of the causes of their offending and what's happening in their families.
"Half have had no contact with police since coming into the program.
"Not only have they significantly reduced their level of offending, they're engaged with school or some sort of training."
She said the expansion of the program to the additional Kimberley sites would begin immediately, with the government pledging additional resources for Karratha, Newman, Carnarvon, and Mandurah.
The government will also seek matching funds from the Commonwealth to support the ongoing response.
Local leaders waiting to see results
Broome Shire Deputy President Desiree Male said the funding was welcome, but it was only a single piece of the puzzle.
"Any money towards this issue and putting resources and initiatives into this issue is absolutely welcome," Cr Male said.
"Whether it's enough? We won't know until these programs are rolled out."
She said community safety remained the community's number one issue, and it was imperative the new programs were successful.
"If this doesn't work, we as a community need to come up with some new initiatives for the Government to address these issues," Cr Male said.
