Page 1392 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015
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We have seen, for example, the Ricky Stuart Foundation and the government joining in partnership to support young people with a disability by providing a respite centre. It will be operated by Marymead. This has brought government, business and the community together and it is a positive connection for many in our community.
The NDIS clearly will have an impact on young people with a disability here in the ACT. Before the NDIS, community members were supported through rounds of the enhanced service offer, which saw 20 per cent of those successful grants go to young people.
Further, we are working with House With No Steps to offer a transition from education to adult life program which makes sure that all people in our community have access to and support for participation broadly across our community. I support the motion moved by Dr Bourke and I commend it to the Assembly.
DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (12.23): I will close the debate. I am going to oppose the amendment moved by Mr Wall and all those little quibbles that he brought out. But I am glad of his support for the motion and I do not want to labour our differences. I was particularly reminded in the contribution by Mr Gentleman, the Minister for Planning, about the importance of young people’s views in planning. After all, we are building the city in which they will live.
I have already talked about the breadth and depth of offerings that the ACT government provides for youth, particularly in sport, arts, education, grants and scholarships, as well as engagement through things like the Ministerial Youth Advisory Council. But I will just finish off by talking a little more about Indigenous youth and where we are going with this issue.
The government provides a range of services to support Indigenous youth in the territory, and particularly through Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation, which provides outreach support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people that are at risk of experiencing, or who are transitioning from, homelessness.
In 2013-14, Gugan Gulwan received funding of $71,196 from the Community Services Directorate for homelessness services delivery. Furthermore, the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, cultural and scholarship grant programs encourage and support local emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, including young leaders. Youth aged 16 to 25 have received funding through grants for programs such as the youth leadership cultural camp.
Other scholarship grant recipients are able to develop their knowledge and skills by undertaking study and training to enhance and support their employment prospects in the ACT by gaining further skills and qualifications. The scholarship grants have been used for recognised training courses, as supplementary funding to participants on existing leadership programs, for professional and personal development, and also to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in the ACT who are undertaking entry level qualifications. These grants provide positive opportunities to promote the ACT government’s commitment to improving educational and leadership outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans.
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