Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to stand here today to congratulate an organisation very close to my heart. The Youth Partnership Project has been awarded the 2018 Community Service Excellence Award for outstanding commitment to collaborative place-based solutions. Research tells us that one in four young people in detention in Western Australia are from Perth's south-eastern suburbs, predominantly the areas I represent in Burt. This project was founded on the belief that children are not born bad but rather are born into complex environments that can lead to significant behavioural problems. This program provides early, targeted support to young people. Collaborating with government agencies and community services, they work exceptionally hard to change the story in my local community. I'd also like to congratulate Parkerville Children and Youth Care in Armadale for their work with children recovering from abuse and with abuse prevention, and Jamie Barr from the City of Armadale for being listed as a finalist in the Above and Beyond category for his work with Save The Children and the Armadale Youth Intervention Partnership.

In Burt, and indeed across the country, we would be at a loss without our dedicated community services like these. Many such services and community groups also rely on volunteers, and we should celebrate and encourage their contribution more. My Burt Volunteer Awards are one way that we can do that. Nominations for the Burt Volunteer Awards are now open, and I invite people in my electorate to nominate a volunteer in our community who has made a real difference. They can find out more information on my website.

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