Federal funding delays put Alice Springs youth centre rebuild in jeopardy

The redevelopment of a youth centre providing crucial support to disadvantaged Aboriginal children in Alice Springs is in jeopardy due to funding delays despite a 2022 federal election commitment, according to its chief executive.

The Gap Youth Centre was established by the local Aboriginal community in 1977, providing free meals, programs and a safe space for children into the night in the town.

As part of her 2022 federal election commitments to her electorate of Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour promised $20 million to construct a new youth and community centre in response to concerns over crime and community safety in the town.

The new centre would be constructed on the old site, to continue its legacy, consolidating the site's two blocks.

Gap Youth Centre chief executive Leon Tripp, who has been at the helm of the organisation for just over a year, said the new building would include meeting rooms, workshop spaces, an after-hours youth area, industrial kitchens, a music room, a recording studio and basketball courts.

"What we're going to end up with is something that is totally fit for purpose," he said.

Mr Tripp said although the funding became available in August 2024, due to the need to relocate and an organisation restructure, there was a 12-month delay to the three-year-grant.

To get to stage one of the project — the demolition of the existing buildings — Mr Tripp said the whole service had to move offsite.

As this meant finding another appropriate building and making it fit for purpose so they could continue delivering vital services, the move only happened six weeks ago.

Just the cost of moving the service, administration and making the temporary site usable has cost the organisation $800,000, Mr Tripp said.

Despite his request to the Department of Infrastructure more than a year ago to vary the terms of their grant, he said the government was not releasing funds.

Mr Tripp said he only found out on September 4 that his request for a contract variation would have to return to a department official for review, and could take up to two months for a decision — risking the loss of the scarce contractors available for stage one.

"The uniqueness about it is that we're looking at a demographic that is one of the most disadvantaged in Australia, so the importance of this project can't be overstated,"

he said.

"The real tripping block here is the funding period, all of the projects that would have been funded under this tranche of money were due to finish at the end of June 2027, we're now on the verge of going into an 18-month build," he said.

"I was asked, 'Can it be done shorter?', No, it can't be condensed."

Mr Tripp said he wrote to Ms Scrymgour's office a week ago about the wait on the variation decision, but until raising the issue on ABC Radio Alice Springs yesterday, had not heard back.

Ms Scrymgour said she was committed to ensuring her election promise was delivered and would meet with Infrastructure Minister Catherine King's office to work through the issues.

She said her office had little contact with Mr Tripp on the build leading up to this week, however Mr Tripp said he was in contact with her office in April.

Mr Tripp said the service delivery side of the service was not at threat after signing a $1.5 million, five-year funding contract with the Northern Territory government.