COVID-19 Recovery Grants Program

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding young people. Can the minister update the council on the Marshall Liberal government's youth-led COVID-19 recovery grants program and how that is helping to build up hope in the northern suburbs?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:19): It was a great pleasure to recently attend—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sometimes there are comments about red cordial on Thursdays, but we will finish this question time in silence.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: It was my great pleasure to go to Davoren Park in the electorate of Taylor, I think it was last week, to help celebrate with the young people there to launch a special place in the City of Playford called Building up HOPE. This was one of the grants that was provided through a youth-led COVID-19 recovery grants program, given that young people were identified as a cohort impacted by the pandemic.

There was total funding of $550,000 to the Local Government Association to provide one-off youth-led recovery grants to assist young people in a range of different areas, which were very, very diverse. The City of Playford, in partnership with CareWorks SA’s Hope Street program and Carclew Youth Arts Pom Pom program was allocated $45,000 for Building up HOPE.

One of the particular features of this program was an augmented-reality art mural, which I found quite innovative—not something that I had experienced before—and the installation of nature play spaces in a community garden with outdoor seating. It was well attended by a number of young people from local schools particularly, which I think is an indication of the high regard with which those local services are provided.

I congratulate the young people particularly who were involved in driving this program and look forward to those young people participating.