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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-11 Daily Xml
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SCHOOLIES FESTIVAL

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about Schoolies Week.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: As year 12 exams are drawing to a close, many young people will converge on Victor Harbor to celebrate Schoolies Week once again this year. Will the minister please explain what is being done to help students stay safe at Schoolies Week this year?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for his question. This year even more South Australian students were given the lowdown on how to have a safe schoolies festival before they even left the classroom. Alcohol consumption is the biggest risk factor for young people during Schoolies Week, but we hope that arming them with information at the right time will prepare students to enable them to make safe decisions about their behaviour.

Thanks to an additional $5,000 state government grant from the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner, the Safety at Schoolies education seminars, which were delivered by Encounter Youth, have reached about 2,500 students through 25 seminars. This year, the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner has joined a range of state government agencies already supporting Safety at Schoolies. The grant has enabled Encounter Youth to conduct 15 seminars in schools in the lead-up to the annual schoolies festival.

These seminars were a proactive way of conveying key safety messages to soon-to-be schoolies about a range of issues including alcohol use. For most students, finishing their SACE is certainly a good cause for celebration, and we obviously need to support them to have fun but in a safe way. While we do what we can to hone safety messages to schoolies when they are in party mode, there are many advantages of connecting with them before they actually finish their studies.

By talking to young people while they are still at school, we are able to engage more students at any one time. Most importantly, we can connect with them when they are at their most focused and will have more time to positively plan, ask questions and, ultimately, heed the warnings and, hopefully, not be subject to being caught up in the spur of the moment during the celebrations.

The seminars focused on safe partying tips, including information on responsible drinking, penalties associated with underage drinking and dry areas. The seminars challenge students to think about situations and, in turn, equip and empower them with safe partying strategies. I understand that the seminars are very interactive and scenario-based, so that young people think about what they would do if they found themselves in certain situations.

A wide range of schools, including public and private schools in both metropolitan and rural communities, have been included in these seminars. In addition, we encourage parents to educate their teenagers about staying safe, and looking after your mates and keeping an eye out for them is obviously part of that important safety message. Parents can also provide transport for their teenagers and their friends, while schoolies should ensure that they do not get into a car with a person who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

I congratulate our students and hope that they have a safe and fun time during their Schoolies Week.

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