ON COUNTRY A LOCAL WIN

AN Indigenous-run corporation has won the tender to start up an on country program for high risk youth offenders, with Townsville elders saying they could get started straight away.

Gr8motive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, which is based in Townsville, strives to advance opportunities and exposure for Indigenous people. Chair Chris Andersen said his main goal was to reduce the number of young people being locked up.

AN Indigenous-run corporation has won the tender to start up a country program for high-risk youth offenders, with Townsville elders saying they could get started straight away.

Gr8motive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, which is based in Townsville, won the competitive tender to run the on-country program in Townsville.

The corporation started in 2017 and is entirely run by Indigenous members, who strive to advance opportunities and exposure for Indigenous people.

Chair Chris Andersen had high hopes for the program, saying his goal was to reduce the number of young people being locked up.

“We believe our program will create opportunities and assist young people in choosing better options in their lives and also connecting back to their cultural heritage,” Mr Anderson said.

The program will be available to children aged between 10 and 17, and run for up to eight weeks on rural properties.

About six children will head up the first stint of the program this month. The corporation has about six rural stations that have come on board, with more expressing interest to help in the last few weeks.

Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper said the group could get started straight away.

The announcement comes after the State Government amended the Youth Justice Act in a tougher stance against bail for recidivist offenders; a move the Townsville community has been calling for for months.

The youth crime crisis came to a head in June, when four teenagers were killed in an alleged stolen car crash. The 14year-old driver was let out on bail just weeks before the crash.

Police and the courts will be able to refer high-risk children to the program under the supervision of elders and traditional land owners.

The group has $1.5 million in funding across the next four years for the program.

Indigenous elder Uncle Rusty Butler said while it was a start, he feared the promised funding would not be enough to cover all costs.

Uncle Rusty also said the Australian Defence Force was on board with the cause, and had already planned a potential partnership where personnel would teach the children survival training.

Fellow mentor Wayne Parker said they had been working alongside Gr8motive for the last 18 months to try to get something off the ground. He said the corporation would also help to support parents while their children were away, and there would even be the possibility of parental visits.

He hoped the services would teach parents how to “take responsibility” for their children.

“Breaking the cycle is important and this is a step in the right direction for us,” he said. “I know this will make a difference.”