Blue Light fade-out fear

Chairman says lack of funding means disco is over

NORTHERN Territory Blue Light Discos may be a thing of the past.

The chairman of the NT Blue Light Committee issued a statement saying that due to an unsuccessful Community Benefit Fund application and several months of failed negotiations, the committee “has no choice but to move towards dissolving the association”.

The NT Blue Light Committee issued an appeal alongside the statement in the hope that community members would contact members of Parliament to get the government to reconsider core funding support.

“This would allow NT Blue Light to work with local communities to produce youth engagement solutions as it has done in the NT for over 30 years until de-funding in 2014,” it read.

However, a spokesman for the NT Government said Blue Light’s application for a CBF grant was denied because the program didn’t fit the guidelines, which only allow for oneoff funding.

“The Blue Light Disco is able to apply for further fund- ing through a range of youth service grants,” they said.

This follows an announcement in December last year, in which the Blue Light chairman said the committee was unable to confirm any commitments for the 2018 calendar year “until such times as our funding requests to the relevant government agencies have been finalised”.

The NT News understands that in February this year promises were made from the NT Government that “Blue Light discos will continue”, but a funding agreement does not appear to have been made.

Opposition leader Gary Higgins, who said in February that the funding lapse was “disgraceful”, doubled down on his criticism.

“At a time when the Territory is plagued with community safety issues, including with young Territorians, it is disgraceful that Blue Light NT is being forced to shut up shop,” he said.

“It is simply disgraceful that Blue Light NT has not secured funding despite many months of negotiations with Labor and now Territorians, including remote communities, will miss out on a program that’s been around for more than 30 years.”