❓ Ms. Beard questions the Minister for Community Services about the Target 120 youth crime program's operational status and participant numbers. The Minister acknowledges the program's importance and challenges, confirming funding and ongoing efforts, but defers specific details to a later date.
AnsweredQoN 641Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TARGET 120 SITES
641. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Community Services:
I
refer to the government's single policy to address youth crime across
regional communities, the Target 120 program , which the minister
described as the most important and significant social program of this
government.
(1) Can the minister
confirm that the program is now operational in all nine expanded locations
announced in May 2022?
(2) Can the minister confirm that
the program is operational in all 20 locations announced to date?
(3) Can the minister provide details
of how many participants have been through the program to date?
641. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Community Services:
I
refer to the government's single policy to address youth crime across
regional communities, the Target 120 program , which the minister
described as the most important and significant social program of this
government.
(1) Can the minister
confirm that the program is now operational in all nine expanded locations
announced in May 2022?
(2) Can the minister confirm that
the program is operational in all 20 locations announced to date?
(3) Can the minister provide details
of how many participants have been through the program to date?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
thank the member for her question and her interest in supporting young people,
and particularly young people at risk in our communities. We know that
providing supports for young people at risk is a complex thing. We also know,
as the member rightly identified, that the Target 120 program—a key
priority of this government, with some $43 million investment into this program
in 20 locations around the state—is absolutely essential if we are
going to make a difference in young people's lives to intervene, to
support them early, and to steer them away from a path of coming before the
juvenile justice system. Since I have been the minister, it has been my great
privilege to travel around the state to meet with various community sector
organisations and Aboriginal community–controlled organisations that
are delivering this program right around the
state. Also, every three weeks, I hook up specifically and talk to project
leaders in each of the locations to understand the successes they are
having with young people, and also to understand some of the challenges—they are complex challenges when working with
these young people—and how we c an better support the program to
have further success.
In
relation to Carnarvon, I confirm that on Tuesday I had a phone hook-up with
Ngala, which is now running the program there and having great success
in onboarding young people and supporting them. In that instance, it is having great success in working closely and
collaboratively with the local school in Carnarvon, because we know that
one of the main drivers of keeping kids engaged is education. Many of the young people who are coming into the Target 120
program are disengaged from schools. The Carnarvon e xample is just one
example of a community service organisation that is working with young people
and building relationships with schools and
other service providers in its community to help support those young people.
I f
the member would like to put the question on notice, I am happy to provide her
with more specific numbers around locations. We have funded 20 locations in the
state. I am happy to take it on notice to provide the member with more specific
information about which locations, how many young people are currently in the
program and the kind of success we have had with them.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Is it
operational in all 20 locations?
Ms S.E. WINTON : Can I finish?
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Several members interjected.
Ms S.E. WINTON : Can I finish
my answer?
In relation to two of the locations,
Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, negotiations are at an advanced stage with a service provider to roll out the program in
those towns. I repeat what I have said in this place before: it is challenging for service providers right around the
regions to have the capacity to roll out some of the programs, least of all
because of staffing issues and the need to onboard people to roll out
those programs. We are working as hard as we can to support local organisations. We have provided funding of $43 million to
help them step up and roll out the initiative.
thank the member for her question and her interest in supporting young people,
and particularly young people at risk in our communities. We know that
providing supports for young people at risk is a complex thing. We also know,
as the member rightly identified, that the Target 120 program—a key
priority of this government, with some $43 million investment into this program
in 20 locations around the state—is absolutely essential if we are
going to make a difference in young people's lives to intervene, to
support them early, and to steer them away from a path of coming before the
juvenile justice system. Since I have been the minister, it has been my great
privilege to travel around the state to meet with various community sector
organisations and Aboriginal community–controlled organisations that
are delivering this program right around the
state. Also, every three weeks, I hook up specifically and talk to project
leaders in each of the locations to understand the successes they are
having with young people, and also to understand some of the challenges—they are complex challenges when working with
these young people—and how we c an better support the program to
have further success.
In
relation to Carnarvon, I confirm that on Tuesday I had a phone hook-up with
Ngala, which is now running the program there and having great success
in onboarding young people and supporting them. In that instance, it is having great success in working closely and
collaboratively with the local school in Carnarvon, because we know that
one of the main drivers of keeping kids engaged is education. Many of the young people who are coming into the Target 120
program are disengaged from schools. The Carnarvon e xample is just one
example of a community service organisation that is working with young people
and building relationships with schools and
other service providers in its community to help support those young people.
I f
the member would like to put the question on notice, I am happy to provide her
with more specific numbers around locations. We have funded 20 locations in the
state. I am happy to take it on notice to provide the member with more specific
information about which locations, how many young people are currently in the
program and the kind of success we have had with them.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Is it
operational in all 20 locations?
Ms S.E. WINTON : Can I finish?
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Several members interjected.
Ms S.E. WINTON : Can I finish
my answer?
In relation to two of the locations,
Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, negotiations are at an advanced stage with a service provider to roll out the program in
those towns. I repeat what I have said in this place before: it is challenging for service providers right around the
regions to have the capacity to roll out some of the programs, least of all
because of staffing issues and the need to onboard people to roll out
those programs. We are working as hard as we can to support local organisations. We have provided funding of $43 million to
help them step up and roll out the initiative.
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