THE head of one of Bendigo’s leading welfare agencies has entered the debate surrounding the behaviour of some people in Hargreaves Mall. Community debate has been stirred over the past month through stories in the Bendigo Weekly about anti-social behaviour in the mall. St Luke’s chief executive officer Dave Pugh said it was important such issues were raised. “The issues raised in this debate about young people’s behaviour are not simple,” he said. “On the one hand, young people need to be valued and nurtured, on the other, the rights of others to feel safe and the belief that young people grow well with some boundaries around their behaviour are also important perspectives. “We know that young people need access to public space, that they use it differently to adults and therefore their behaviour is much more on display than that of other generations, who use public space for less social purposes.” Mr Pugh said there were strategies to adress the issue. “So what do we want in Bendigo for our young people, acknowledging their rights, needs and responsibilities?” he said. “The Victorian Government has the vision for young people, that: ‘All young people have a strong sense of belonging, are motivated to create and share in opportunities, and are valued for their contributions and influence in their communities’. “St Luke’s is very interested to work with community members who have some optimistic and positive strategies to assist our community achieve such a vision for young people,” he said. “My own office is right in the middle of the Hargreaves Mall, above Powney’s. “I would be very happy to support interested community members in developing solutions that help us achieve such a vision for our precious young people.”
