Page 572 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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(1) notes:
(a) that Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation provides a place to gather for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and their families, along with numerous services and programs aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in the ACT;
(b) that Gugan Gulwan has successfully provided drop in services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth for many years;
(c) that changes made by the ACT Government to the delivery of the youth support program in 2012 resulted in the closure of a number of youth drop in centres across the ACT;
(d) that these closures resulted in an increase in demand for services at Gugan Gulwan from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth; and
(e) the current Gugan Gulwan premises at Wanniassa is unable to cope with the increase in demand for services due to insufficient physical space; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to investigate options for providing additional space for the Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation and report on the results of this investigation to the Assembly by the end of April 2014.
I move this motion today in an attempt to ensure essential support for outreach services for Canberra’s Indigenous people so that they are able to continue to operate effectively, particularly those services provided by Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation. Gugan Gulwan is an Aboriginal youth centre located in my electorate in the suburb of Wanniassa, in the Erindale precinct. It works with its clients through a range of programs that go well beyond the services provided by most youth centres. They include drug and alcohol programs, a child, youth and family support program and a reconnect program to support young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Gugan Gulwan gives support to parents and the family unit, focusing on skills and development for young people.
Gugan Gulwan operate a number of services from their centre in Erindale, including a drop-in centre for Indigenous youth where a safe and positive environment is provided to ensure youths have a refuge to seek support and simply engage in recreational activities. This service alone caters for up to 200 youths per week. They also offer a beginners music program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have an interest in or passion for music; a lunch program which operates daily and seeks to target alcohol and tobacco or other drug-affected clients and promotes healthier eating and healthier lifestyles. They offer a young men’s drug and alcohol group, aiming to engage young men in a range of activities, primarily targeting those who do not attend school, addressing issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, domestic violence, family planning, living skills, identity, health, education and training.
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