The remote Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek has long suffered from crime, and poverty. So when a new youth centre was built in 2020. It was hoped the multi-million-dollar project would help keep children safe, and off the streets. But three years on - the centre still hasn't opened its doors leaving the community waiting.
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00:00 It's been described as a war zone.
00:03 Boarded up, empty shops, the town's poorest live in tin shacks with no power or water.
00:10 One building, the Tennant Creek Youth Centre, stands out shiny and new.
00:14 But it's never opened its doors.
00:16 "You just walk around dead in this town, walking laps."
00:20 Billed as a safe space with a computer room, pool tables and a Ninja Warrior obstacle course,
00:25 these kids say it would fill a void in a town with little else to do.
00:30 "I would go there and kick around with all the boys and have fun there."
00:34 "Yeah, I'd probably go and shoot some hoops with the boys."
00:38 Completely built but locked up for almost two years, this community leader had hoped
00:43 it would be a silver bullet to a growing problem - crime.
00:46 "Keeping those kids active and busy at the youth centre, you know, chill early hours
00:53 of the morning, if you go downtown later on, it's like a war zone.
00:57 We've got all our buildings closed up."
00:59 "When it comes to young people, we often talk about justice reinvestment and investing in
01:05 a youth centre such as the one in Tennant Creek is an opportunity to deliver a whole
01:09 range of programs."
01:10 Over the past year, house break-ins are up almost 50 per cent.
01:14 Break-ins to businesses up more than 66 per cent - a fact the Mayor knows all too well.
01:19 "I went to Canberra and while I'm talking to the Prime Minister of Australia, my wife
01:23 is messaging saying that they're breaking into my house."
01:26 It's the Council's responsibility to staff and run this facility, but so far funding
01:31 has only been secured for the next five years.
01:34 And attracting workers and finding them somewhere to live is a big problem in this town.
01:39 "To have a Ninja Warrior course doesn't mean that you can just stand there.
01:43 You have to be trained in circus, aerobics and even get a riggers licence.
01:49 What we want is we want to make it legit."
01:51 The centre also needs an occupancy certificate, but the NT Government and the Council are
01:55 hopeful it'll be open by the end of the year.
01:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]