Page 3328 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 October 2022
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children are subject to police bail and returned home. However, a small number are remanded in Bimberi due to having no safe alternative for the children or to prevent the children from harming others.
Most children who are detained are subsequently released on bail after appearing in court. However, short periods of detention are traumatising for children, particularly when they are repeated. Of course, most matters for these young people are not prosecuted. However, children may still be subject to bail conditions for a period and may then be subject to breach of bail. For a small number of children who spend a longer period of time in Bimberi, sadly, under the age of 14, it can be an opportunity for a time-out, to feel safe, to establish a routine, to be away from negative influences, to re-engage in education and to commence therapeutic work. But living in a youth justice centre risks early institutionalisation and is not in the best interests of children.
The government is doing further work on a therapeutic case management model in the context of broader reform in the children, youth and families area and the review of the Children and Young People Act. The reality is that many of these children and young people are known across the system. We need to work together and we need to get the system right. We are absolutely committed to doing that. I again want to thank the Raise the Age Alliance for its advocacy in this space, and Minister Rattenbury and Minister Davidson for the collaborative work that we are doing.
MS DAVIDSON (Murrumbidgee—Assistant Minister for Families and Community Services, Minister for Disability, Minister for Justice Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Veterans and Seniors) (3.28): I seek leave to say just a few words in support of this petition.
Leave granted.
MS DAVIDSON: I would also like to thank the Raise the Age Alliance for bringing this petition forward, and Ministers Rattenbury and Stephen-Smith for their collaborative work on a solution to this issue. We know that we need integrated early intervention services if we are going to take advantage of this opportunity to achieve transformational intergenerational change for these children and their families. It is our intention to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years. We will do so with improvements to service responses for children and for their families, and we will work with our community sector partners to make sure that we do this. In doing so, we will deliver a safer and more supportive community. Thank you.
Planning—land release program
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (3.30), by leave: I move the following motion standing in Ms Lee’s name:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Standing Committee on Public Accounts made a number of recommendations to address the ACT’s housing crisis in the report on its inquiry into Auditor-General’s Report No 4 of 2020: Residential Land Supply and Release;
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