Page 1243 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 2021

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As with CYPS, it is important to note the work that the Education Directorate has already undertaken, informed by the recommendations of the Glanfield review. The Education Directorate has made legislative amendments in 2019 to the Education Act 2004 allowing for greater sharing of information across jurisdictions regarding information about a child or young person being enrolled at an education provider or registered for home education; continued to strengthen use of the school administrative system to ensure attendance data is accurately collected and analysed to enable early intervention and responses to students and families of concern; stood up a school attendance team allowing for more targeted work on supporting re-engagement and re-enrolment for students of compulsory education age; and commenced an enrolment and attendance policy and procedure review to align with the legislative amendments and to strengthen current practice in schools.

The directorate’s responses relating to student engagement and attendance have been intended to minimise the risk of children and young people “disappearing” from the education system, noting this was an issue which was subject to commentary in the coroner’s report.

When tragic deaths occur as a result of family violence, they rightly act as a catalyst for government to refocus our efforts to keep children and families safe. It is also important to recognise that, as a community, we share a collective responsibility for the safety of children and young people. In the words of the inimitable Dr Sue Packer: “If we want children’s lives to be better, we have to be actively involved in supporting the family a very long time before abuse occurs. Everybody should be able to intervene and intervene safely.” As a community and as a government we must continue our efforts, working together, to support children, young people and families.

To conclude: I would like to again reiterate my sincere condolences to Bradyn’s mother, family and friends. I would like to thank everybody who has contributed to the inquest and to the significant work and substantial reform that has already taken place to prevent family and domestic violence and to better protect our children and young people. There is always more to do, and we are committed to doing it. We will carefully review the recommendations from the coronial inquest and consider how these can be addressed in the context of the significant reform agenda already underway. The government response to the coronial inquest will be tabled in the Assembly within the next six months. I present the following paper:

Coronial inquest—Bradyn Dillion—Ministerial statement, 11 May 2021

I move:

That the Assembly take note of the paper.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Planning—Gungahlin town centre

Ministerial statement

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, Minister for


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