YOUTH PARTICIPATION

Ms PORTOLESI (Hartley) (14:57): My question is to the Minister for Youth. What steps is the government taking to encourage the participation of young South Australians in helping to implement targets in the State Strategic Plan?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Youth, Minister for Gambling) (14:57): I thank the youthful member for her very important question. I am pleased to inform members about two significant initiatives: first, our statewide youth consultations on the South Australian Strategic Plan; and, secondly, a Festival of Forums, which involves working with young people in the public sector to explore their views about implementing our Strategic Plan objectives.

The Office for Youth in partnership with the Community Engagement Board began consulting with young people about the targets in our State Strategic Plan in October. The first consultation was conducted in Mount Gambier and is a forerunner to further statewide consultations. Over 60 young people from the South-East were involved in a broad community demographic that included young people aged 12 to 25, Youth Advisory Committee members, 10 young Aboriginal people, 10 young people who had become disengaged from learning and 10 young people from some of the smaller communities. The topics about which these young people were consulted included: employment, public transport, personal safety, health, voting and volunteering.

I am pleased to report that four young people have subsequently volunteered to help facilitate broader community consultation that is being organised by the Community Engagement Board later this month in Mount Gambier and Naracoorte. The Office for Youth has supported these young people by assisting them in developing skills and confidence in the areas of public speaking and facilitation. The consultations will be followed up by a survey that is being sent out to all schools and interested parties within the South-East region, with the gathered information to be fed back into the relevant agencies.

I would also like to mention—and, indeed, invite all members to involve themselves in—the Office for Youth's Festival of Forums which will run for three days from Tuesday 4 September at the Adelaide Convention Centre. This is a free event for public sector employees, and so far there have been almost 1,200 registrations.

Six local, national and international keynote speakers will explore our Strategic Plan objectives from a youth perspective. There will also be presentations and panel discussions involving a wide variety of organisations who work regularly with young South Australians. Our young people have much to contribute and I applaud their commitment to becoming involved in helping make things work for the betterment of all South Australians.