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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1183 ..

MS REILLY (continuing):

Possibly the main recommendation that people are concerned about is the first one, relating to the introduction of legislation. The committee looked at this very carefully, and looked at other solutions as well. Legislation is an easy, simplistic way out, but we are really looking at a much more complex issue relating to the use of public space. If we just go for legislation we are taking a purely punitive approach against the actions of one group within our community. It is just a continuation of the surveillance, coercion and harassment that young people suffer in a number of instances. There seemed to be little point in going on with it. In fact, the police were loath to support the idea of legislation, recognising the difficulty of making it work. The committee put an amount of effort into finding alternatives to legislation.

One of the things about having community education as a way of dealing with the situation, which is what the committee has recommended, is that it provides an active role for young people to be involved in what is going to happen in the future. The recommendations in this report provide an opportunity for young people and older people to get together to work out solutions. This dialogue would be creative. It would create a positive atmosphere for them to discover more about each other's needs. Surely it is a more educative and positive approach than the punitive approach of legislation which would be unenforceable.

Older people would have the opportunity to explain to young people the difficulties and fears which they have about the use of public areas in certain instances, and their fear, often unfounded, of young people on skateboards or in-line skaters. It would be the opportunity for young people to explain and to work out ways in which they can accommodate and work with older people to allay those fears. It would be the opportunity also for the young people to show off their skills in skateboarding. It would encourage them to show what they can do. Other people in the community would notice what young people are up to in a positive way. The older people we spoke to were interested in this consultative cooperative approach to a community issue, and I think it is an opportunity to bring young people into this aspect of their lives.

From that point of view, I commend this report to the Assembly because this is a chance for us to get the community working cooperatively together in a way that does not happen in a number of areas. It is an opportunity to bring young people, some of whom may not be involved in other community activities, together to work towards a community answer.

MRS LITTLEWOOD (4.57): While I have been on this committee for only a short time and came in halfway through this inquiry, I do have a few comments that I would like to make. I very much support young people and I want to do all I can to encourage them, because I know it is a bit of a rough trot for young people out there today. I spent Tuesday evening with a group of young skateboarders in Tuggeranong. I would like to congratulate the Government on providing the skate park in Civic,

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