South Burnett welfare agencies have expressed serious concerns about the Strategy for Youth, released recently by the State Government.
A spokesperson for one group told southburnett.com.au they believed the strategy would create more problems in the local area.
They said their group endorsed comments made by the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ) which said the strategy was “deficient” in many ways.
According to YANQ, there was no meaningful consultation with the NGO sector before the release of the strategy.
“Youth justice responses by government have been packaged under ‘health and wellbeing’,” YANQ said.
“We have just seen the shift of responsibility for youth justice from the Department of Communities to the Attorney-General and we have seen many successful programs being axed by the Department.
“The government needs be more congruent and not include criminal justice punishment under the name of health and well-being.
“Defunded programs like Youth Justice Conferencing, Youth Support Co-ordinator and Skilling Queenslanders For Work are being included in what is now being released as Youth Strategy.
“Are we going to see at least the same amount of money returned to these programs?
“(It says) a wide range of non-government support services including neighbourhood centres will be funded to assist young people or families address issues that impact on their personal, social or emotional wellbeing and safety.
“What about youth services, why are they not mentioned?
“Is this new money or this is the recommissioning of existing money which would mean losing an entire youth service in an area and having the neighbourhood centre with a family/youth worker?
“(It also includes) a $3.2 million package of initiatives, increasing to $3.7 million in 2014–15, (which) will strengthen the network of supports and services designed to provide more co-ordinated care for children and their families across Queensland.
“Is this new money, and if so, where from? How does it strengthen the network of support services? Is this child protection money or youth sector money?”
YANQ said the State Government, QCOSS and the LGAQ were trying to silence the youth sector.
“Over the past six months, YANQ has met with the Minister for Communities as well as senior public servants in charge of developing the youth strategy and has encouraged them to undertake comprehensive consultation with the NGO sector and young people,” the YANQ spokesperson said.
“Unfortunately, the Queensland Government has missed an important opportunity to include in the recommissioning process and the development of the Youth Strategy genuine consultation that informs their policy and programs.
“Instead, it’s very clear that the government is trying to silence the voice of the sector by dismissing the historical knowledge that YANQ and other sector organisations have gathered over decades.
“Rather, the government has enlisted the support of QCOSS and LGAQ and has sidelined the legitimate peak body for the sector, YANQ, due to the outcomes of our independent advocacy and consultation processes.
“At the end of 2012, YANQ undertook extensive consultations across many regions in Queensland about the recommissioning process.
“The evidence base was gathered and developed into a comprehensive report which was then tabled with the government.
“Despite this, the Minister has been very hostile towards the report and towards the sector’s own consultation processes, which have included recommendations to support the work of small community-based NGOs.
“Any further consultations and reports undertaken by QCOSS and LGAQ are being funded directly by the State Government and exist only as smokescreens to undermine the consultation work that the sector has already done.
“YANQ proposed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between key peak bodies in March 2012 that would allow for a framework of collaboration and non-competition between the peaks, and to role model this for the sector.
“QCOSS refused, and have continually denied that (they) have been working with the State Government to undermine the youth sector’s own independent processes.
“It is with great sadness we now see QCOSS and LGAQ breaking their word and partnering alongside government to silence the youth sector.
“It is telling that in all the communiques on the recommissioning process released by QCOSS/LGAQ, there has not been one mention of YANQ, the existing consultation undertaken by the sector, or of the already published report/s the youth sector has on hand to allow us to stand strong in the recommissioning process.”
