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Cutting Youth Crime: New On-Country Youth Work Camps at Seven Emu Station

Office of the Chief Minister

The Territory Labor Government is investing $4.54 million across five years to develop new short and long-term youth intervention work camps at Seven Emu Station, to prevent at-risk young people from offending and reoffending.

The Government has partnered with Jarrdimba Bayamuku Aboriginal Corporation to deliver the intensive short and long-term youth work camps.

The camps will focus on building young people’s cultural knowledge and identity, understanding of consequences, development of personal responsibility, work ethic and experience, and problem solving skills.

The camps will provide intensive intervention to break the cycle of youth crime. They will focus on practical learning, Vocational Education Training and work programs such as land management, tourism, construction and managing an organic cattle station.

The camps will be delivered at Seven Emu Station, an outback property near Borroloola.

The short term camps will take young people primarily from communities in the Borroloola, Big Rivers and Top End Regions, however referrals will be accepted and assessed Territory Wide. 

Panels will be set up to assess eligibility and suitability for the young people to attend.

Short-term Camps – will commence in July 2020:

  • Jarrdimba Bayamuku Aboriginal Corporation will deliver 4 x 10-day youth work camps each year until 2025.
  • The camps will accommodate up to eight young people aged between 10 and 17 years of age. The young people will be accompanied by support staff – such as case workers, youth workers, school representatives and Elders. The support staff will work with and provide assistance to the three additional Jarrdimba Bayamuku camp staff.
  • The camps will involve practical learning activities such as land management, fencing, construction, commercial bush food collection, tourism management and ranger practices, as well as fostering of cultural connection and learning about bush medicine.

Long-term camps

  • The camps will accommodate four young people (14-17 years of age) over a period of five months, and will be delivered twice a year, accommodating a total of eight young people per year.
  • Works will commence in the coming months to create the long term camp infrastructure, which will include sleeping quarters, bathroom and laundry facilities, common living areas, food preparation and storage facilities and an outdoor living and training space.
  • The camps aim to develop independent living skills and work ethic by engaging at-risk young people to work at the organic cattle station, bush medicine and bush food practices, fencing, tourism and land management practices. Young people will also undertake Vocational Education and Training to complement their work experience and enhance their employability.
  • The camps will start once construction of the accommodation infrastructure is completed.

Quotes from Minister for Territory Families, Dale Wakefield

“Youth crime – any crime – is unacceptable. The new short and long-term youth work camps will be intensive and an intervention to break the cycle of youth crime.

“The camps will not just focus on personal responsibility and consequences, but they will also give young people a way out of crime by connecting them with practical learning, Vocational Education Training and work programs.

“We have invested more than any other government when it comes to tackling crime. When Terry Mills and the CLP cut services last time, crime went up. You can’t tackle crime with more cuts, but that’s what the CLP and Terry’s Alliance will do again if they get the chance.”

Quotes from Member for Barkly, Gerry McCarthy

“I am extremely proud of Frank, Daphne and the Shadforth family for the incredible care and support they have provided youth at risk over many years on the Station.

“It’s great news that Frank is offering his support for a wider cohort of Northern Territory youth on country and in industry that will provide the important mentoring, training and social development as real consequences for offending behaviour.

“Frank Shadforth is well respected in the pastoral sector and a reference from Frank will support young people completing training on Seven Emu Station employment in the wider cattle industry across the Northern Territory.”

 Quotes from Chairperson of Jarrdimba Bayamuku Aboriginal Corporation, Frank Shadforth

“Jarrdimba Bayamuku, ‘Strengthening the Children’ is an important program as it teaches young people life skills and about family roles and responsibilities, family style work and feelings of belonging and security.

“The program is held on country and helps young people reconnect with their culture while teaching them about basic work skills, including working on a cattle station, tourism on country, commercial bush tucker and bush medicine activities. The program will help prepare them for their adult lives.

“We know young people and we have been doing this for 30 years. As Aboriginal people, we understand their emotions and their needs and how best to work with them and we are confident that we can help young people to take the right path in life.”

 

Media contact: Paige Nguyen 0428 727 244
paige.nguyen@nt.gov.au

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