Page 3336 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 21 August 2018
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broadly. I am pleased that the government has agreed to it. I know that, when it comes to measuring concepts such as engagement and wellbeing, it can be difficult, but I think we do our young people an injustice by only measuring them in terms of contact with youth justice and child protection, as was the case in this year’s budget papers.
I note that the government’s response to the estimates report referred to a report entitled A picture of the ACT’s children and young people. I hope that this is due to be updated, given that it was done before the release of the latest census data, especially given that the ACT has seen significant population growth. As well as having a positive impact on the territory’s bottom line, we must realise the impact that this has on the provision of services and infrastructure for children and young people.
All too often, recreational activities are targeted to the needs of families with young children, such as playgrounds, which are, of course, important. But, as has been raised by advocates like the Youth Coalition, there is a real need to consider and consult with middle-year and teenage young people on the design and location of recreational facilities to meet their needs and interests. That is one reason why the Greens-Labor parliamentary agreement called for multipurpose indoor sports facilities in Woden and Gungahlin, and I look forward to progress in the next parliamentary agreement update. I hope to see targeted resources, too, that meet the needs of growing children and young people, not only to maintain community engagement and feeling valued in the life of our community but also to improve their mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
There were also a number of recommendations in the estimates report relating to the increasing number of STIs in our community. This, of course, is not an issue only for young people, but it is important to young people. It is really important to educate young people about STIs—sexually transmitted infections—and how to prevent them with targeted awareness programs. I am also pleased to see the positive response from the government on increasing the availability and awareness of free condoms in the ACT.
I welcome the additional $1.8 million for the integrated service response program for the national disability insurance scheme. As I and other members of the HACS committee have heard repeatedly, it is critical that the ACT can provide emergency funding where the first phase of the NDIS has shown up gaps. For those who are eligible for the NDIS, it is great to see the additional funds for advocacy so that participants are supported to fully advocate for their needs.
Expanding the disability inclusion grants program is another positive step that the government has taken to improve social inclusion for people with disability. This is one of those cases where awareness and support in the wider community have the potential to shape our city to be accessible and inclusive for people with disability.
I am pleased that there was additional funding for the development of a disability justice strategy. This is a much-needed strategy that should assist in addressing not only the disproportionate victimisation of people with disability but also the high rates of interaction with the criminal justice system more broadly. The crunch, of course, will be in what is next. We must ensure that actions identified in the disability justice
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