Page 59 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 1990
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this year. We have been consulting with young people to obtain their views on the gaps in services which should become the target for the joint Commonwealth-State funding for homeless youth arising from the Human Rights Commission report.
Last week I met with a group of young people and service providers to explore ways of providing youth input to policy advice to Government. I have agreed to create a ministerial advisory council on youth affairs and will detail these arrangements once consultation with the youth sector has been completed. The ACT has a well-established community sector and the Alliance Government is committed to consultation in planning so that the funds available are used most effectively to fill the gaps in services. This is the approach being adopted for youth services, for housing homeless people through SAAP and importantly, for services to the ageing and people with disabilities. I recently approved the home and community care strategic plan and will also release this plan for public information.
I have taken some time to illustrate some of the processes being followed by the Alliance Government to demonstrate to the Assembly that there are prospects for achieving a bipartisan approach to improving community service provision in Canberra. Whilst I accept there may be differences in emphasis I have no doubt that the Labor Opposition, if it is true to its own ethic, will support much of the reform agenda that we are developing for community services.
I am sure that all members of the Opposition, like all members of the Government, share our concern for welfare services for children. There has been very little progress in this area. I regard this area as one of the most pressing areas for action. Over the recess I have conducted extensive consultation with non-government organisations and parents and those administering the law and programs in order to clarify the best first steps to overcome the inertia of the past decade. We are at least 10 years behind other States in planning services for children at risk. In the next two years the Alliance Government will concentrate on achieving real change.
The problems of substitute care in the ACT partly arise from an over-reliance on residential care and an inadequate range of family support and foster care arrangements, together with overlap between the roles of government and the community sector. A draft policy framework for family support and substitute care services has been developed and is the subject of current consultation with service providers. A major seminar is being planned for later this month involving participants from around Australia who have been through change processes. Negotiations are under way with major service providers and the operation role of the community welfare branch is subject to scrutiny.
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