By Belinda Nolan
Brimbank Uniting Church Minister Penaia Te’o is campaigning for a new rugby union club to be formed to give local teenagers a healthy hobby.
The Samoan community leader told Star he was concerned by high crime rates among Brimbank’s youth population and believed sport could hold the key to turning the trend around.
Last month, Star reported that more than a third of all crimes committed in the municipality were carried out by young people.
The shocking figures revealed that more than 15,000 crimes were carried out in Brimbank between July 2009 and June 2010, with young people accounting for 6600 offences.
Mr Te’o said the trend was alarming.
“As a minister, I work with many young people,” Mr Te’o said.
“I also work as an interpreter for the Samoan community in court and in Centrelink.
“I’m very concerned about young people in our community and the types of things they are getting involved in.
“I think a big part of the problem is that they are bored, and when you’re bored you tend to do stupid things because you don’t have anything else to do.”
Mr Te’o is working with Brimbank Council to establish the new team, which would be based in the Deer Park or Cairnlea areas.
“Rugby is a favourite sport for the Samoan people, but at the moment there is nowhere locally for kids to play it, and parents are having to take their kids as far as Werribee to do it,” he said.
“I think it would be of great benefit to the community if we could get a club going here, which would give these kids something to do.
“I want to reach out to these kids and help them achieve something meaningful.”
Mr Te’o will hold an information session this Saturday for parents and youth interested in forming a rugby union club.
The meeting will be held in the Sunshine Uniting Church hall in Withers St, Sunshine, from 1pm.
