Community-driven ideas to improve public safety in the Hume City Council area will be supported with funding from the Victorian Government.

Minister for Crime Prevention Natalie Hutchins today announced that the council will receive an Empowering Communities grant of $700,000 to support community-designed and delivered projects.

The Empowering Communities grants are part of the Government’s Building Safer Communities Program and will support local communities to kickstart projects and programs to improve safety and address crime in their area.

A Building Safer Communities Forum was held in Hume late last year, hearing from local young people about the challenges and personal safety issues they face.

The grant builds on the issues explored at the forum and on the Government’s recent investment in crime prevention in Hume, including the redevelopment of Broadmeadows Town Park, lighting and other safety improvements, and programs to tackle youth offending.

More than $2.4 million in 21 crime prevention projects in the Hume local government area have been provided since 2015 through the Community Crime Prevention Program. This further funding boost complements the achievements already made by the local community.

Evidence shows that community driven initiatives work when communities have the resources to identify and address the local issues which matter most to them.

The Government has invested $11 million into the Building Safer Communities Program through the Victorian Budget 2020/21 and will support additional community led initiatives as part of a further $19.8 million investment in crime prevention through this year’s budget.

Applications for the next round of competitive grants will open in November.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Crime Prevention Natalie Hutchins

“The Empowering Communities investment provide the opportunities for the Hume community to identify solutions to crime and safety issues which matter most to them.”

“I am looking forward to seeing the Hume community develop effective crime prevention initiatives that will come to life through this Empowering Communities grant.”

“This will give Hume the resources to tackle important community safety issues identified at the Building Safer Communities forum, and to empower the community to develop local crime prevention ideas which work.”