Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

National Youth Week begins this Friday, and I am pleased to report to the House on events that are taking place in Shortland as well as speak about a very special festival I will be attending on Sunday.

Too often in the media youth are portrayed in a negative light. But in my experience, as a member of parliament, whenever I visit a school or meet with youth or community groups I am always amazed and uplifted about the contribution young people make to our society. National Youth Week is an opportunity for young people aged between 12 and 24 to celebrate and showcase the great contributions they make to our communities. I want to acknowledge and thank Lake Macquarie City Council for the events they are holding across Youth Week. There is a full program of events every day next week, and this will provide young people with an opportunity to express their ideas and views about issues that affect their lives and our community. The Doyalson Raw Challenge, a seven-kilometre course with 55 obstacles organised by Southlakes Youth Service, certainly sounds interesting. I also recognise that Central Coast Council is celebrating Youth Week with a variety of functions. All the proceeds from Comedy for a Cause at The Hub Youth Entertainment Venue this Friday night are being donated to the charity Musicians Making a Difference.

I am especially excited about attending the GOATS festival at San Remo this weekend. GOATS stands for Going Off At The Swamp. It is organised by The Epicentre, which was formerly the San Remo Neighbourhood Centre and is a drug- and alcohol-free event that provides an opportunity for young people and children to showcase their talents. The festival gives young up-and-coming musicians an opportunity to perform in front of a large crowd. The theme for this year is 'Get involved. Be heard. Make a difference.' And I am really looking forward to joining the San Remo community and the broader northern Central Coast community at the festival. As I said before, GOATS is organised by The Epicentre, and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute to the tremendous work The Epicentre does in San Remo and surrounds. I have regularly held mobile offices at the centre and have seen firsthand the difference it makes in a community that has some very challenging socioeconomic issues. I particularly want to recognise and thank Jillian Hogan, who runs The Epicentre, and her team for their work and commitment to our community. It is such a pleasure in this job to meet people who work tirelessly to improve the lives of others. Fred Hollows once said, 'You only really accomplish yourself when you get involved with other people's welfare.' Well, I can assure the House that Jillian certainly accomplishes herself. She is a special person, and on behalf of the community I represent I publicly thank her for her dedication, passion and commitment.

As we are about to celebrate Youth Week, I would also like to congratulate the 2016 Shortland Youth Volunteer of the Year award recipient, the Lake Macquarie Youth Advisory Council. The council is a volunteer group made up of young people aged 12 to 24 and works at addressing issues affecting young people. Over the past year the council has organised Youth Week celebrations, assisted with the planning and delivery of the Endless Summer Charlestown Swim Centre event, and provided advice to council, the police, and youth and community service organisations. So I am pleased to recognise the young people who volunteer on the advisory council. I have great confidence in our future knowing that these fine people will be working and contributing to our society.

Young people in my area face many challenges. As a regional community and also an outer metropolitan community we face great issues around access, whether it is to services such as mental health services, to a job market or to universities, without facing crippling debts. There are many challenges that young people face, so it is so important that we recognise their achievements, encourage them to do more where we can, and really applaud their efforts in this environment. We have quite a high level of youth unemployment in my area. We have real issues with apprenticeships disappearing. So, we need to support youth where we can and recognise their great achievements.

I will end my contribution tonight where I began. Too often we hear negative stories about youth. However, as members of parliament we have the privilege to meet with outstanding young people regularly, and I thank the fine young women and men of Shortland who make such a difference in enhancing our community. I am very much looking forward to being at the GOATS festival this Sunday. It is a very special day. I encourage all the residents of the Shortland electorate and the broader Central Coast and Lake Macquarie regions to drop in. There will be some great music, some great information stalls and some great food being run, usually by people like the Lions Club. So, drop in, have a great time and support a great cause.

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