Pilbara Safe Spaces

The Hedland and Newman Safe Spaces programs (the Pilbara Programs) have been identified under the Pilbara Juvenile Crime Working Group and codesigned by government, industry, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and placed based community Sub groups. The programs are funded jointly by BHP and Fortescue who are contributing up to $22 million from the Resources Community Investment Initiative (RCII) towards their delivery over a five-year period from 2025.

The Pilbara Safe Spaces program will offer a temporary safe space and/or transport home for children and young people at risk and on the streets at night in Hedland and Newman.

An outcome of the Pilbara Safe Spaces program is to provide protection from harm and increased wellbeing for children and young people while reducing the potential for them to get caught up in antisocial and offending behaviours. Early intervention aims to reduce risk factors that increase the likelihood that a young person will engage in offending behaviour and is based on the premise that intervening early in a young person's development can produce significant long term personal, social and economic benefits.

The Pilbara Safe Spaces program will also facilitate culturally responsive follow-up and outreach services – including life skills, education and employment – that address underlying and intersecting issues for vulnerable, at risk, unsupervised young people.

The Pilbara Safe Spaces Programs will be delivered and managed by local, place based ACCOs working with government agencies, to provide a temporary place where at risk children and young people can go off the streets and away from antisocial behaviour and unsafe environments to receive support services while being connected with a responsible adult to provide supervision of them.

Subgroups were set up in Newman and Hedland comprising locally based representation from ACCOs, government agencies, local government, industry and other key stakeholders. (Hedland Aboriginal Strong Leaders (HASL) and Julyardi have worked with the community and partners to understand the community need for more than 6 years. The concept has been included by HASL in numerous community plans throughout this time).

Each Pilbara Safe Spaces program will include a facility (Safe Space) where unsupervised young people under 18 years can voluntarily attend or be taken by the service providers, WA Police or other appropriate community outreach services.

The Safe Space will function as a temporary location where young people can be taken while Safe Space staff work to locate a responsible adult to provide supervision for them, either being a parent, guardian or significant other. While at the Safe Space, the young person will be assessed by staff and any referrals or support services, and ongoing case management will be completed based on their individual needs.

Young people will have access to food, basic hygiene supplies and facilities, low levels of entertainment and areas for rest. The Safe Space staff will work to locate a responsible adult to provide supervision for them and will undertake an assessment for any referrals or support services based on their individual needs.

Safe Spaces will provide culturally responsive support and early intervention services and be run by Julyardi in Hedland and KJ and the Newman Women’s Shelter in Newman.

It is proposed that the Pilbara Safe Spaces program will be operational from mid-2025 for a period of five years.

The Commission is the government lead in the project. It manages the Pilbara Juvenile Crime Working Group, the Pilbara Safe Spaces Program Control Group and the Hedland and Newman Subgroups. It is working closely with Communities to ensure the programs are delivered with the intent to provide safe and culturally appropriate intervention services for children and young people.

Communities’ role in the Pilbara Safe Space programs is to procure services and manage contract service delivery, coordination and implementation.

Services are expected to commence mid-2025.

The Pilbara Safe Spaces program is for children and young people under 18 years. There is no set minimum age. Hedland House and Newman.

Safe Spaces will provide a safe space for all children and young people. The ACCOs will work with the community and partners in providing adequate safeguarding practices for young children and acutely vulnerable children to ensure their wellbeing and safety.

The purpose of the Safe Space is to provide supervision of young people whilst a responsible adult is located.

The ACCOs will work with the community and their partners to ensure that the child remains safe, and steps are taken to find a safe alternative to family.

An Indigenous Healing Service will be established in Newman to support and complement the implementation of the Safe Spaces program. The service will deliver child focused trauma recovery services, informed by traditional and local Aboriginal healing practices.

An Indigenous Healing Service is already operating successfully in Hedland.

There is more information available on the Pilbara Development Commission website or contact the Commission via email: communications@pdc.wa.gov.au.