The CBT’s Jirribilyi development which starts construction in April 2026 includes a fit for purpose and co-designed youth and community precinct with expected completion in July 2027. This will include a new Child & Family Centre, as well as youth facilities and an office space being operated by GYCS. 

Since inception GYCS has been led and operated by Steve McAllan who’s experience, program delivery and community connections have been critical to its success to date. Steve now acts as General Manager of GYCS.

With full-time, part-time and casual positions which prioritise local employment and upskilling, GYCS provides benefits to household income in the region in addition to wellbeing outcomes.

This case study sets out the origin and establishment story of GYCS and what the program seeks to achieve in improving youth and community wellbeing.

GYCS was established to fill a gap and better coordinate service provision for youth and community. Supporting youth and the wellbeing of young people has been a resounding priority for community members for many years. Based on these community aspirations, the CBT saw an opportunity to invest in the establishment of a new community organisation. The CBT was well placed to oversee the development of community program through its financial and organisational support, embedding sustainability and independence to ensure the service delivers lasting community outcomes based on needs documented through extensive community engagement.

During consultation with stakeholders and community members in Borroloola and Robinson River in 2019, the need for a dedicated youth service was identified as the priority for the CBT. At the time, there were a lack of places for young people to seek support and participate in positive activities, especially for young people who are not in schooling.

The CBT engaged consultants Lia Pa’apa’a and Liam Maza to undertake the Youth Scoping Study in 2020/2021. This project involved extensive consultation with the Borroloola and Robinson River communities to identify the issues pertaining to young people and create recommendations for future programming.  

Overall, the scoping study found that there was a need for a multi-faceted holistic youth service in Borroloola and Robinson River, with a central coordinator role to help maximise what is already being delivered, as well as support the delivery of new programs.

In 2022 the CBT engaged KPMG to translate the findings of the Youth Scoping Project report into a Strategic Action Plan for the next three years. This Strategic Action Plan identified key actions needed to establish the service to improve outcomes for young people in Borroloola and Robinson River, including potential funding sources. 

Independence

In 2024, Plan C transferred the CBT Youth and Community Program to CBT Youth and Community Limited, establishing the independent “Gulf Youth and Community Service” (GYCS). 

GYCS is now a standalone charity with a range of other funding partnerships and programs established to grow service provision. The CBT provides on-going investment to ensure the new entity is established to be sustainable, impactful and provides wellbeing outcomes to local young people and community members.

Core Programming

GYCS now has core programming operating consistently across Borroloola and Robinson River. Engagement with young people and families is strong across youth, diversion and community activities. These programs are also increasingly integrated, providing flexible and coordinated support pathways. These programs include:

• Diversion
• NDIS
• Women’s Sport
• Men’s Sport
• Men’s & Women’s Sport
• Malandarri Festival 
• Music
• Young Women and Men Fishing
• Men’s Fishing
• Staff training and capability building
• Cooking Workshops
• Life skills 
• Woodwork
• Child and Family Centre

Training & Development

GYCS places a strong emphasis on the value of training and workforce development. Staff are supported through structured supervision and mentoring, let by the coordinators and the General Manager to ensure staff wellbeing and facilitate professional development. Staff are currently in the process of undertraining Certificate IV training in Child, Youth and Family Intervention, strengthen service quality and workforce capability. Additional training is planned or underway, including mandatory reporting, suicide prevention, and mental health first aid.

Malandarri Festival

Through GYCS and with major funding from the CBT, the Malandarri Festival is now also being produced and delivered locally. 2025 was the first year GYCS ran the festival, which was received very well by the community. The community has indicated very high support for the local production into the future and the CBT remains committed to its delivery.