Mrs BRAHAM - 2008-02-14
It was a sad day when the Gap Youth Centre in Alice Springs closed its doors. I realise it had financial concerns and I do not want to discuss that. I also know that there are some youth services in Alice Springs which are hoping to reopen their doors shortly and provide some service to those kids who use it. The previous Chief Minister promised $300 000 last year to the Gap Youth Centre when it was apparent that it was having financial difficulties. You visited Alice Springs last week and met with youth services. Will you tell me what the government will do to assist this centre to reopen and provide very much needed programs for the young people who use it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for her question. It is an important question. The closure of the Gap Youth Centre affects not just those young kids who are highly dependent on it, particularly the after-hours service, which was a very important program for a lot of kids in Alice Springs. I went to Alice Springs last week, as you said, and not only met with representatives from the Gap Youth Centre but all of the youth sector in Alice Springs.
For a long time, we have been looking at the issues of youths and trying to get a coordinated and targeted strategy to deal with youth at risk in Central Australia. It was a fantastic meeting. Representatives from all of those youth centres attended that workshop. We had four hours of quite intensive discussion. I was joined by the member for Stuart. We have all agreed that there were very clear actions and outcomes that came from the youth sector, as well as me as the minister as to how we will work together to move forward.
Regarding the Gap Youth Centre, as you know, an administrator has been put in. The Department of Family and Community Services is having discussions with the Commonwealth department, because the funding for the majority of the area where they ran into problems was from the Commonwealth. We are trying to work through with the Commonwealth to look at where they got into some financial difficulties and how that might be overcome.
In terms of the commitment the former Chief Minister made for $300 000, I held an interview where I said that that commitment is still there and we are working through that with all of those services. It is not just a matter of putting the $300 000 back in there without having a look at where they got into some of those problems, and fixing those systems internally with the Gap Youth Centre. It is an iconic institution in Alice Springs. We will work with the board and Tangentyere, Mission Australia and the many other members of the sector there to try to get the service back.
As I understand, the Reconnect program will start by the end of this week, member for Braitling. We are all working together. We do want to see it coming back; it is important for Alice Springs and for the youth of Alice Springs. We will do everything we can to try to get that service and those funding issues addressed.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for her question. It is an important question. The closure of the Gap Youth Centre affects not just those young kids who are highly dependent on it, particularly the after-hours service, which was a very important program for a lot of kids in Alice Springs. I went to Alice Springs last week, as you said, and not only met with representatives from the Gap Youth Centre but all of the youth sector in Alice Springs.
For a long time, we have been looking at the issues of youths and trying to get a coordinated and targeted strategy to deal with youth at risk in Central Australia. It was a fantastic meeting. Representatives from all of those youth centres attended that workshop. We had four hours of quite intensive discussion. I was joined by the member for Stuart. We have all agreed that there were very clear actions and outcomes that came from the youth sector, as well as me as the minister as to how we will work together to move forward.
Regarding the Gap Youth Centre, as you know, an administrator has been put in. The Department of Family and Community Services is having discussions with the Commonwealth department, because the funding for the majority of the area where they ran into problems was from the Commonwealth. We are trying to work through with the Commonwealth to look at where they got into some financial difficulties and how that might be overcome.
In terms of the commitment the former Chief Minister made for $300 000, I held an interview where I said that that commitment is still there and we are working through that with all of those services. It is not just a matter of putting the $300 000 back in there without having a look at where they got into some of those problems, and fixing those systems internally with the Gap Youth Centre. It is an iconic institution in Alice Springs. We will work with the board and Tangentyere, Mission Australia and the many other members of the sector there to try to get the service back.
As I understand, the Reconnect program will start by the end of this week, member for Braitling. We are all working together. We do want to see it coming back; it is important for Alice Springs and for the youth of Alice Springs. We will do everything we can to try to get that service and those funding issues addressed.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016