Council backs us — and here's how you can help
Hi everyone,
It's been a big week for us.
On Wednesday 12 August, we took the campaign into the chamber at Merri-bek City Council. We formally presented this petition, which now has over 6,200 signatures. Community members put questions and statements directly to Councillors about the proposed sale of the Don Bosco Hostel and Youth Centre.
Councillors passed a motion backing us
What the motion does (summarised version, scroll to the bottom to see the full text):
- Notes council already works on free youth spaces; Don Bosco has served the community for 80+ years, and free spaces matter more as costs rise. Notes the community concern about the sale of Don Bosco.
- Council will write to the Salesians seeking an extended EOI period to explore alternatives, and to State/Federal MPs asking them to help save the youth space.
- Backs community efforts to save a free space for children, young people and families at this site through providing in-kind support for community-driven campaign activities.
You can find the text of the motion below. You can also find any records, reports and the meeting itself on the Merri-bek council website.
Please help to buy more time for the campaign - it will take you just two minutes!
The EOI process closes on Wednesday 20 August. You can also help by asking the Salesians to reconsider or extend that deadline. They need to hear from all of us, and they need to hear it before the 20th. Please tell your friends too.
We've written a letter that you can send to the Salesians, which you are welcome to personalise. The email address to send it to is also at the top of the document.
Follow us on Instagram at @save_don_bosco, if you haven't already.
Thank you to everyone who came to Council, spoke, wrote, signed and shared. Six thousand signatures moved Councillors past what their own officers recommended.
Council Motion
MOTION
That Council:
1. Notes Council’s ongoing work to provide and enable free third spaces for young people, including through the objectives of our Children, Young People and Families Strategy, and a report to Council in October 2025 assessing the need for free third spaces for young people in Merri-bek.
2. Acknowledges the Salesians of Don Bosco Hostel and Youth Centre’s role as a valued place providing activities and programs for children and young people for more than 80 years.
3. Acknowledges that having free space for children, young people and families is more important than ever with the increasing cost of living.
4. Notes the significant community concern about the Salesians of Don Bosco religious order’s proposed sale of the Don Bosco Hostel and Youth Centre in Brunswick.
5. Notes that the Salesians of Don Bosco have stated they are seeking to sell the site to fund compensation for victim survivors of child abuse.
6. Writes to the Salesians of Don Bosco requesting that they extend the Expression of Interest period to allow for evaluation of alternative solutions to ensure the site continues as a youth space whilst the site continues as a youth space whilst also funding victim compensation, like selling off other church assets that would have less impact on children and young people’s wellbeing, working with State and Federal governments to secure the future of the site, or making a condition of the sale retaining the site’s current role of hosting a free space for children, young people and families.
7. Writes to relevant State and Federal Government Ministers and local State and Federal MPs requesting that they engage with the Salesians of Don Bosco around this issue to help ensure that this site can continue to host a free space for children, young people and families. This could include employing the expertise of Development Victoria to identify opportunities for the continued presence of a free youth centre at the site.
8. Backs community efforts to save a free space for children, young people and families at this site through providing in-kind support for community-driven campaign activities,up to the value of $5000.