Page 5469 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 8 December 2009
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MS BURCH: I am pleased to table for the information of members the Young People’s Plan 2009-2014, with two supporting documents: Developing the young people’s plan 2009-2014 and Delivering the young people’s plan 2009-2014.
This government is strongly committed to ensuring that young people have the services, support and opportunities that enable them to reach their full potential and contribute to our community. The young people’s plan is an expression of the ACT government’s commitment to young Canberrans. It reflects that we as a government and community value and invest in our youth and want the very best outcomes for them.
The young people’s plan is an important guide for us as a government and as a community. It sets a vision and articulates a set of principles to help shape and direct our collaborative efforts in improving outcomes for all young people in our community. What the plan aims to do is identify the needs of our young people and direct our actions in policy development and service delivery over the next five years.
The development of this plan in 2009 builds on the commitment and successes of the ACT young people’s plan 2004-2008, the blueprint for young people at risk and the commitment to young people to strengthen opportunities for all young people in the ACT. The young people’s plan 2009-2014 provides an integrated policy for all young people in our community, particularly vulnerable young people.
This plan expresses a vision for our young people into the future. We want to make Canberra a child and youth-friendly city that supports all young people. The purpose of building a child and youth-friendly city is to recognise and reflect the needs and rights of children and young people to be participating members of the community. A child and youth-friendly city is one where young people’s views and experiences are respected, listened to and taken into consideration in decision making. This includes involving young people in the planning of our city, particularly public space and amenities.
In keeping with this vision, the young people’s plan aims to ensure that young people have a voice on what is important to them, their peers and their communities. It commits to engaging young people actively to ensure that they are involved in all decision making involving them and their community.
While the young people’s plan 2009-2014 maintains a strong focus on building strength and addressing disadvantage of young people in Canberra, it also reflects contemporary issues affecting young people and recognises the challenges and opportunities that impact on young people, including our most vulnerable young people.
The young people’s plan is a commitment from the government to invest in young people’s futures that aims to keep young people connected to education and training, improve their health and wellbeing and enhance access to information, support and services as they progress to adulthood. The young people’s plan 2009-2014 has been developed in parallel to a revisited ACT children’s plan and critical linkages have been drawn between the two plans. This is in recognition of the need to monitor a
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