The Herald Sun reports that the Queensland government, as part of its response to the issue of youth crime in Townsville, will fund a new Street University in that city.

Ted Noffs Foundation CEO, Matt Noffs has welcomed the announcement and said that the program would deliver results within a year and half of being established.

He pointed out that the Street University, an extensive program providing both drug and alcohol diversion and programs targeting at-risk youths, has found success in areas such as Southport, Logan and Sydney.

“The next stage is negotiating the what, when and where it will be placed,” Mr Noffs said.

“Once those things are established, it doesn’t take us very long to get it up and running. If I was going to give an approximate time, I’d be hoping that we’d be open and ready to rock and roll by July at the latest.”

Mr Noffs said the program would be proactive in reaching out to the youths most in need of counselling and rehabilitation.

“If you only have a set of counsellors sitting behind a desk waiting for the kids who are offending the most to walk in, just forget it, they’re not going to do it,” Mr Noffs said.

“The only way you’re going to get them to come in is when the police pick them up and by then it’s too late.

“If we provide them with things that they want be doing, we can then get them into those traditional diversion programs before they get picked up.”

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Photo credit: Justin Lloyd