Page 3250 - Week 11 - Thursday, 13 September 1990
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action in this area. The budget provides the funds to build the attendance centre in Belconnen and to expand the community service order and attendance centre programs.
The budget allocates funds to improve the operation of our existing custodial system by improving forensic psychiatric reports, by the construction of new cells for detainees with psychiatric disorders at Belconnen Remand Centre and by the transfer of responsibility for the transport of offenders - - -
Mr Wood: I came here to hear budget speeches.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Wood should be interested to hear this - so that New South Wales prison officials are provided with better briefing and files on offenders' psychiatric circumstances. I have already written to the New South Wales Minister proposing an overhaul of the 1971 agreement covering the placement of prisoners and a survey of ACT prisoners is nearing completion.
The budget also allows us to make a start on changes in the juvenile justice program. (Quorum formed) A pilot environment upgrading program for young offenders will be introduced, and plans are well advanced for a national seminar in October to examine wilderness programs. We have allocated funds to upgrade security at Quamby and discussions have already started between officials on the possibility of using Quamby for the detention of young offenders from the surrounding region of New South Wales. The budget is therefore a combination of strategies. On the one hand there is urgent action to attend to pressing needs; on the other there is a long-term consultative process for the overhaul of juvenile justice and adult corrections.
We have adopted a similar strategy in relation to youth services. Shortly after becoming Minister, I asked the youth sector to develop arrangements for a proposed ministerial advisory council on youth affairs. This will proceed and we expect to be calling for nominees soon. This forum can be expected to help young people have more direct access to the business of government. The budget, however, further consolidates our strategies for young people. It builds on a 25 per cent increase in funding I announced within weeks of going into government last year. The Street Link program, the adolescent day care unit - so vitally needed - and the completion of the youth health network are all measures towards solutions to identified gaps in services.
As a community we must make every endeavour to assist young people to complete their education and to gain life skills. The programs included in this year's budget improve those prospects. We have recently allocated $35,000 for the development of a housing education and life skills kit. The matching of Commonwealth funds for youth sector training and for the Aussie Sports youth program are small
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