A Youth Shed Action Group, formed last year, will meet with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council representatives on Monday to tackle the lack of youth facilities in the area.

The group is trying to find a suitable site to establish a Youth Shed, similar to the popular Men’s Shed program at Wauchope.

Also on Monday, state opposition justice spokesman Greg Smith will host a public forum to discuss juvenile justice issues.

The Nationals’ electorate council chair Leslie Williams said these meetings were timely given the federal government’s decision to spend $10 million setting up five new youth community centres across Australia.

Mrs Williams said there was a desperate need for a youth facility to replace those that had disappeared during the past few years.

“The recent spate of crime committed by youth in our community highlights the urgent need for local centres which focus on the needs of young people,” Mrs Williams said.

The centre locations will be decided based on their ongoing sustainability, existing local facilities and the level of youth disadvantage in the community.

The youth centres may be existing buildings that are refurbished or newly built premises.

The Port Macquarie Police & Community Youth Club closed its doors in June last year and Switch Skate Park relocated to smaller premises to make way for an aged-care facility.

Port Macquarie teenager Grant Ward believes there is little for youth to do here.

“We’ve got bad nightclubs, bad skate parks and, if you don’t surf, you’ve got nothing,” he told the Port News.

The 18-year-old said one of the only good venues for young people closed down.

“We used to have a scene at the Switch Skate Park and Maritime Museum, it’s reopened but not going like it used to,” he said.

The meeting will be held at 4pm on Monday at Port Macquarie Panthers.