The Pasifika community in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs will be helped to be stronger, safer and more vibrant thanks to support from the Andrews Labor Government.

Through a partnership with the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), $150,000 was given to develop community-led crime prevention project Pasifika Prototype, which draws on local strengths and knowledge to find culturally appropriate solutions to help keep people on the right track.

This project has been delivered by a respected Pasifika team through CMY, which provides specialist support to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

The project includes Pasifika cultural leaders, youth workers, and project officers from CMY, and involved focus groups and consultations with members of the Pasifika community whose insights will help to inform community-led crime prevention work.

The project also includes creation of a Pasifika services directory to support the needs of the local community, developed through consultation with community leaders and groups such as churches, sporting clubs, schools and youth groups.

The Government is investing in other initiatives to support the wider Pasifika community, such as the Pasifika Thrive and the Village Response initiatives, backed by $400,000 in funding and delivered by Charis Mentoring, which harness values and key members of the community to support young people from Pasifika backgrounds.

The Government’s new $11 million Building Safer Communities Program is also delivering a series of community forums focused on safety and crime prevention, as well as grants for local community safety initiatives.