Minister for Regional Development and Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird and Member for Throsby Stephen Jones have today turned the sod on the new Southern Community Hub and Youth Foyer Project to signify the commencement of construction works for the project.

Southern Youth and Family Services received $2,579,450 in funding under Round Two of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) program to construct the project which will begin construction today Ms Bird said.

The Southern Community Hub and Youth Foyer Project will provide a Community Hub building to accommodate a variety of social support and health services for young people and families provided by non-government and government agencies she said.

The project will also provide an accommodation complex of 20 self-contained units, expanding the regions capacity to provide safe, affordable accommodation and services for disadvantaged and homeless young people Sharon Bird said.

The Hub is due for completion in March 2015 and will create numerous jobs during construction and approximately 15 full time jobs and 15 non-ongoing jobs once it is completed Stephen Jones said.

The project is converting the former Regional Illawarra Police Station in Warilla and will reconstruct and refurbish the two large double storey existing buildings into the Community Hub and accommodation facility Mr Jones said.

Southern Youth Family Services provides a vital service to our local community and it is fantastic to see this service being expanded through the help of the RDAF program. This will make a remarkable difference to the lives of struggling youth and families in the Illawarra Mr Jones said.