Tara Murray
Community projects to improve safety in Brimbank will be funded as part of the state government’s building safer communities program.
Brimbank council was recently announced as the first local government crime prevention partner of the the safer communities program.
The partnership will result in $700,000 in ’empowering communities’ grants for crime prevention programs determined by the community and aimed at improving safety and addressing crime in their area.
The grants aim to build community capacity to understand crime-related issues, strengthen community relationships to deliver crime prevention initiatives, build the evidence base for successful community development initiatives, and engage and mobilise the community to address issues of local concern.
The grant follows the government’s first Building Safer Communities forum which was held in Brimbank last November.
During the forum young people spoke about the challenges and personal safety issues they face.
The Brimbank empowering communities action group has already been formed to support the allocation of funding. The action group will establish goals and initial activities by July this year, with specific projects expected to receive funding from September.
Mayor Ranka Rasic said the council alone cannot build safe and inclusive communities and requires a collaborative approach.
“The ‘empowering communities’ approach brings together the key players at the local level to understand the issues and encourage innovative and evidence-based responses.
“Council is looking forward to being part of the Brimbank empowering communities action group, and to supporting the work of building safer and more inclusive communities.
“We welcome the provision of funding for evidence-based crime prevention initiatives in Brimbank.
“This funding is an overwhelmingly positive step toward a safer, more inclusive, and more liveable Brimbank.”
Crime Prevention Minister and Sydenham MP Natalie Hutchins said this will help address the root problems of crime in the area.
“This will give Brimbank the resources to tackle important community safety issues identified at the building safer communities forum, and to support the community to develop local crime prevention ideas that work.”
