By Kiara Bruton

JUST where have all the events, activities and amusements for our local youth gone?

The recent school holidays again unearthed a scarcity of local attractions to engage our youth.

Teenagers preferred to spend the time bored at home with the dawning realisation that Mildura lacks the engagement to keep our youth motivated.

With a limited amount of activities to do in our community, kids are at a loss with how and where to spend their time.

Not long ago within our community there were countless opportunities for kids to go out and have fun, but now with more than six iconic entertainment centres being shut down in the previous five years, and current locations are losing interest due to the lack of modernisation to suit their generational audiences, and maintaining existing areas.

The loss of Mildura's beloved 13-metre high, Aqua Coaster that was shut down in July 2020 was a particular heartbreak to locals as it was a favourite during Sunraysia's searing summer heat.

The owners of the iconic summer retreat were at a loss as they claimed they had to put up a fight for the slide several times previous.

"It's iconic to the town – the tourists come up every year and they love it," the owners said at the time.

Shortly after the Aqua Coaster was closed indefinitely, the local roller skating and go kart centre, Sun City Rollerama was soon to follow.

While reasons for the closing were never publicly stated in the owners closing announcement, all that was given was that it was "out of our control."

The closing down of the two iconic centres were surrounded by several other local businesses such as The Fun Jungle, House of Bounce, Inflatable World and children's play house Caterpillars.

Recent hikes in insurance premiums have apparently forced the hand of some of those businesses that have either closed down of withdrawn services they provide, such as the recent removal of many of the region's jumping pillows.

But being no longer able to provide these entertainment avenues is stumping kids with what to do within their own community.

There are only so many times they can go back to the well without losing interest.

When school holidays approach, families are looking for something engaging to fulfil their creative minds, so the demand for travel increases.

Families tend to head out of their own backyards and get their children away from technology and out into unfamiliar environments in the hope to create lifelong memories with each other.

Those who are not fortunate enough to go on holidays with family are then impacted with a stemming issue of transport.

A 2020 survey conducted by more than 250 young people found that transport was a large prohibitor in youth participation.

With both parents more and more being full-time employees and unavailable to drive their children to and from where they request, attending social gatherings during those hours tends to be tricky.

Public transport such as buses are an option, but aren't available in all areas of Sunraysia.

Other transport options in Mil-dura like taxis are expensive and unrealistic in consistently paying to get to and fro.

The process of planning social events becomes a hassle and the interest is lost before it even leaves the group chat.

In the 2020 Youth Survey, a shocking result showed that interest in social media was a favourite pastime for youth, and had overtaken the interest in sport.

The lack of eagerness and drive to get out into the community was questioned in the survey and their questions were reasoning with, "I just don't want to go", "need to make more exciting", "it's just not worth going out to an event if you can see the same thing at home".

It was also mentioned that our streets felt unsafe, everything was too expensive, and that the city felt like it was designed for adults, while children growing up were just an after thought.

It was requested by youth to have those issues solved with youth-dedicated spaces to hang out throughout the community, more family-friendly events that are no or low cost as well as supported with affordable transport, well maintained environments and opportunities to assist in maintaining the community with fun volunteer involved working bees.

It is the negative mindsets of young people that is restricting and prohibiting them from motivating each other to go out in public, put effort into organising social gatherings and simply seeing each other face to face.

With more activities and events targeting local youth, organisers can rest assured that youth could again feel involved and catered for in their own backyard.

Kiara Bruton is Irymple Secondary College captain and participated in work experience at Sunraysia Daily this week.