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Council’s decision to back a new Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) will give police a new way to tackle property crime.
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The approval of $3 million for Wagga’s new PCYC came despite council staff’s recommendation to only give $1 million to the project.
Speaking at the meeting, acting superintendent Andrew Spliet from Wagga Local Area Command said council had a “golden opportunity” to help fight youth crime.
“It’s well known a large percentage of property crimes (like) break and enters and shoplifting are committed by juveniles,” he said.
“My police are regularly out arresting juvenile offenders, placing them before the courts and once the matter is finalised the cycle continues again... further offences, further arrests, more victims and more court appearances.
“Wouldn’t it be better to provide a different life path for troubled youth?”
PCYC manager Brett Somerville said a requirement to host Bolton Park’s indoor sports would be a boost for the club, but expanding the plans to include four indoor courts would likely cost an additional $3 million and delay the opening by at least six months.
“It was a great result in the end for PCYC and the community of Wagga,” Mr Somerville said.
“They obviously saw an advantage in providing a facility that can host the sports held within Bolton Park stadium… it doesn’t change our operational plans, it will effectively boost membership numbers and let us reach more families, but it puts us back a little bit.”
He believed the new facility could open by late 2019.
Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said the four-court plan would allow council to reallocate $2.36 million from the Bolton Park redevelopment.
“If Wagga Basketball and other user groups are able to utilise the four courts at the proposed PCYC facility, we can rethink the Bolton Park Stadium redevelopment and look at a much broader range of options,” he said.
The $3 million funding approval is subject to state and federal government funding commitments.
Member for Wagga Darryl Maguire told The Daily Advertiser there had been a $7 million commitment from each of those governments to the project.