❓ The Minister for Sport and Recreation outlines initiatives addressing community disconnectedness in the Southern Wheatbelt, particularly among the Nyoongah community, through sport and recreation programs.
AnsweredQoN 458Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOUTHERN WHEATBELT — COMMUNITY DISCONNECTION
There have been numerous reports from the southern Wheatbelt region of a range of social issues that have contributed to community disconnectedness, particularly among the Nyoongah community. Can the minister advise the house of the Department of Sport and Recreation’s initiatives that the Liberal–National government is supporting in an effort to help address these issues? Mr T.K. WALDRON
There have been numerous reports from the southern Wheatbelt region of a range of social issues that have contributed to community disconnectedness, particularly among the Nyoongah community. Can the minister advise the house of the Department of Sport and Recreation’s initiatives that the Liberal–National government is supporting in an effort to help address these issues? Mr T.K. WALDRON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Most people probably understand that community and social disconnectedness is a real problem and that it can lead to a wide range of issues in our communities. A lot of our country communities are affected by this. I want to briefly outline what we are trying to do through the Department of Sport and Recreation to assist with some of these issues. It is not the be-all and end-all, but it certainly can help to contribute to solving some of the issues. We are trying to do that through sport and recreation as much as we possibly can. Members are aware of some of the issues, including suicide, family feuding, and drug and alcohol abuse that can occur in some of our country communities. In 2009, I approved funding of $45 000 through the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with the Department for Communities for the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation—KEEDAC. That funding was to be used to employ a youth and family project officer. The role is to create community sport and recreation activities, particularly starting in the Narrogin community, with a focus on the Nyoongah community. Some of the objectives include trying to increase the community connectedness throughout the whole community, which has been identified as an issue by the local Nyoongah people themselves; increasing youth participation in the development of not only sport, but also youth programs; community participation in sport and recreation, which has been going very well; and utilising the existing programs and services to target groups, which we are doing. It is also to help the local community increase the local capacity for sports and groups to deliver. I will not take a lot of time, but one of the initiatives that I want to mention is the Indigenous women’s walking group, through the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation, which is providing Narrogin Nyoongah women with a forum to engage in physical activity and education. The activities involve not just the actual walking et cetera, but also discussions on diabetes, mental health and blood pressure, and trying to get a program that will offer some benefit. That seems to be working really well. A couple of other initiatives around the area include the Northam school holiday program, which brings the Nyoongar Sports Association Indigenous mentors to the region. They are running a wide range of sporting activities, and linking them with educational programs. Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for the question. Most people probably understand that community and social disconnectedness is a real problem and that it can lead to a wide range of issues in our communities. A lot of our country communities are affected by this. I want to briefly outline what we are trying to do through the Department of Sport and Recreation to assist with some of these issues. It is not the be-all and end-all, but it certainly can help to contribute to solving some of the issues. We are trying to do that through sport and recreation as much as we possibly can. Members are aware of some of the issues, including suicide, family feuding, and drug and alcohol abuse that can occur in some of our country communities. In 2009, I approved funding of $45 000 through the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with the Department for Communities for the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation—KEEDAC. That funding was to be used to employ a youth and family project officer. The role is to create community sport and recreation activities, particularly starting in the Narrogin community, with a focus on the Nyoongah community. Some of the objectives include trying to increase the community connectedness throughout the whole community, which has been identified as an issue by the local Nyoongah people themselves; increasing youth participation in the development of not only sport, but also youth programs; community participation in sport and recreation, which has been going very well; and utilising the existing programs and services to target groups, which we are doing. It is also to help the local community increase the local capacity for sports and groups to deliver. I will not take a lot of time, but one of the initiatives that I want to mention is the Indigenous women’s walking group, through the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation, which is providing Narrogin Nyoongah women with a forum to engage in physical activity and education. The activities involve not just the actual walking et cetera, but also discussions on diabetes, mental health and blood pressure, and trying to get a program that will offer some benefit. That seems to be working really well. A couple of other initiatives around the area include the Northam school holiday program, which brings the Nyoongar Sports Association Indigenous mentors to the region. They are running a wide range of sporting activities, and linking them with educational programs. Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
I thank the member for the question. Most people probably understand that community and social disconnectedness is a real problem and that it can lead to a wide range of issues in our communities. A lot of our country communities are affected by this. I want to briefly outline what we are trying to do through the Department of Sport and Recreation to assist with some of these issues. It is not the be-all and end-all, but it certainly can help to contribute to solving some of the issues. We are trying to do that through sport and recreation as much as we possibly can. Members are aware of some of the issues, including suicide, family feuding, and drug and alcohol abuse that can occur in some of our country communities. In 2009, I approved funding of $45 000 through the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with the Department for Communities for the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation—KEEDAC. That funding was to be used to employ a youth and family project officer. The role is to create community sport and recreation activities, particularly starting in the Narrogin community, with a focus on the Nyoongah community. Some of the objectives include trying to increase the community connectedness throughout the whole community, which has been identified as an issue by the local Nyoongah people themselves; increasing youth participation in the development of not only sport, but also youth programs; community participation in sport and recreation, which has been going very well; and utilising the existing programs and services to target groups, which we are doing. It is also to help the local community increase the local capacity for sports and groups to deliver. I will not take a lot of time, but one of the initiatives that I want to mention is the Indigenous women’s walking group, through the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation, which is providing Narrogin Nyoongah women with a forum to engage in physical activity and education. The activities involve not just the actual walking et cetera, but also discussions on diabetes, mental health and blood pressure, and trying to get a program that will offer some benefit. That seems to be working really well. A couple of other initiatives around the area include the Northam school holiday program, which brings the Nyoongar Sports Association Indigenous mentors to the region. They are running a wide range of sporting activities, and linking them with educational programs. Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for the question. Most people probably understand that community and social disconnectedness is a real problem and that it can lead to a wide range of issues in our communities. A lot of our country communities are affected by this. I want to briefly outline what we are trying to do through the Department of Sport and Recreation to assist with some of these issues. It is not the be-all and end-all, but it certainly can help to contribute to solving some of the issues. We are trying to do that through sport and recreation as much as we possibly can. Members are aware of some of the issues, including suicide, family feuding, and drug and alcohol abuse that can occur in some of our country communities. In 2009, I approved funding of $45 000 through the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with the Department for Communities for the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation—KEEDAC. That funding was to be used to employ a youth and family project officer. The role is to create community sport and recreation activities, particularly starting in the Narrogin community, with a focus on the Nyoongah community. Some of the objectives include trying to increase the community connectedness throughout the whole community, which has been identified as an issue by the local Nyoongah people themselves; increasing youth participation in the development of not only sport, but also youth programs; community participation in sport and recreation, which has been going very well; and utilising the existing programs and services to target groups, which we are doing. It is also to help the local community increase the local capacity for sports and groups to deliver. I will not take a lot of time, but one of the initiatives that I want to mention is the Indigenous women’s walking group, through the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation, which is providing Narrogin Nyoongah women with a forum to engage in physical activity and education. The activities involve not just the actual walking et cetera, but also discussions on diabetes, mental health and blood pressure, and trying to get a program that will offer some benefit. That seems to be working really well. A couple of other initiatives around the area include the Northam school holiday program, which brings the Nyoongar Sports Association Indigenous mentors to the region. They are running a wide range of sporting activities, and linking them with educational programs. Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
I thank the member for the question. Most people probably understand that community and social disconnectedness is a real problem and that it can lead to a wide range of issues in our communities. A lot of our country communities are affected by this. I want to briefly outline what we are trying to do through the Department of Sport and Recreation to assist with some of these issues. It is not the be-all and end-all, but it certainly can help to contribute to solving some of the issues. We are trying to do that through sport and recreation as much as we possibly can. Members are aware of some of the issues, including suicide, family feuding, and drug and alcohol abuse that can occur in some of our country communities. In 2009, I approved funding of $45 000 through the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with the Department for Communities for the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation—KEEDAC. That funding was to be used to employ a youth and family project officer. The role is to create community sport and recreation activities, particularly starting in the Narrogin community, with a focus on the Nyoongah community. Some of the objectives include trying to increase the community connectedness throughout the whole community, which has been identified as an issue by the local Nyoongah people themselves; increasing youth participation in the development of not only sport, but also youth programs; community participation in sport and recreation, which has been going very well; and utilising the existing programs and services to target groups, which we are doing. It is also to help the local community increase the local capacity for sports and groups to deliver. I will not take a lot of time, but one of the initiatives that I want to mention is the Indigenous women’s walking group, through the Kaata–Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation, which is providing Narrogin Nyoongah women with a forum to engage in physical activity and education. The activities involve not just the actual walking et cetera, but also discussions on diabetes, mental health and blood pressure, and trying to get a program that will offer some benefit. That seems to be working really well. A couple of other initiatives around the area include the Northam school holiday program, which brings the Nyoongar Sports Association Indigenous mentors to the region. They are running a wide range of sporting activities, and linking them with educational programs. Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
Mr M.P. Murray : What about the Amaroo Football Academy in Collie that you allowed to collapse? Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : I will talk to the member about that later. I am not aware of exactly what he is saying. The Beverley ball-sports program with the Shire of Beverley is an initiative to try to introduce some non-traditional sports and let youngsters have a crack at sports such as water polo, floorball, tee ball, basketball and those types of things, and that is also working very well. As a member of Parliament and a country guy, over the years I have seen many programs come into existence and develop. People always try to do good things with them. I just think that perhaps Sport and Recreation could have played a bigger role at times. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that we do it working with other agencies wherever possible. I want to congratulate the Department of Sport and Recreation because it is doing a lot of really good work in this area, not only in the country but also in the metropolitan area. The Liberal–National government will continue to focus on trying to address the social and justice issues through the Department of Sport and Recreation supporting other agencies wherever it can.
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