Youth Research Qualitative Report - District Council of Mount Barker

Centre, these amenities are not reaching their potential. The Library’s short lived attempt to appeal
to young people by having game machines and youth literature at the back of the main room was
appreciated by those who knew about it, but they were in the minority. Very few of the participants
of these focus groups used the local library. For some it was simply because it was out of sight and
separated from the town centre, for others it was because it was ‘all about books’ and lacked
resources of interest to young people such as new media, games, easy internet access and a
comfortable, accessible space to hang out with friends and make a bit of noise.
Because you've got elderly people that go there maybe because they haven't got the internet
so they go there to look at their stuff and I've been loud in there before and I've copped it from
most of the people in there. So you don’t feel welcome No. When I first started here
(Vocational College) I went there with friends and we used to talk and people just come past
and tell us to shut up. (Young woman, 18 yrs)
Many participants thought there was plenty of room at the cinema complex for an arcade games
room (where the activities of users did not impinge on movie goers). And the space between the
cinema and Auchendarroch House was thought to be ideal for a youth arts space or graffiti wall.
The lack of amenity and entertainment for young people in the Mt Barker District is compounded by
the fact that there is also ‘nothing to see’ that is of interest to young people. They wanted to be able
to walk through Mt Barker on a Sunday afternoon and see something interesting; buskers, local art,
more youth oriented shops, markets.
Walking around is boring, so you want to do something but it’s expensive... They don’t even let
you busk here. Busking would make the streets more lively...you just want to be able to see
something interesting. (young woman, 15 years)
Physical and financial access is essential when considering entertainment and amenity for young
people. If there is no public transport and the cost is too high, young people have to rely on the
resources available in their households. It was clear that the majority of participants in these focus
groups could rely on parents to provide both the financial and mobility resources needed to access
friends, entertainment and informal recreation. These young people often found it difficult to
identify community infrastructure needs because their activities were so well facilitated by parents
who could furnish their homes with entertainment systems and swimming pools; drive their children
to friends’ houses and extra-curricular activities and fund an afternoon at the movies. While these
young people may not be missing out on many developmentally appropriate activities (other than
important opportunities to travel independently), considerable demands are being placed on their
parents. Without adequate community resources, particularly associated with mobility and amenity,
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Needs assessment of young people in the Mt Barker Council District – November 2009