AT-RISK YOUTH — ON-COUNTRY DIVERSION FACILITY — KIMBERLEY
750. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting communities in working to break
the cycle of youth offending.
(1) Can the
Premier further outline to the house how the Marlamanu on-country diversionary
program would provide an alternative to detention in the Kimberley and help
young people turn their lives around?
(2) Can the
Premier also advise the house what other measures this government is taking to
address the complex issue of youth offending?
Mr M. McGOWAN
replied:
I thank the member for Kimberley for the question, her
incredible hard work in one of the biggest electorates in the world and the
great job she does up there. You have only to visit the Kimberley with the
member for Kimberley to know that she is deeply engaged and works incredibly
hard for constituents all across that magnificent place.
(1)–(2)
The government is investing $40 million in a comprehensive package to help
break the cycle of youth offending across the Kimberley. Yesterday, the
Minister for Regional Development announced that Marlamanu Pty Ltd will be
delivering the pilot on-country diversionary program in the Kimberley. It will
be located 112 kilometres outside Derby at the Myroodah cattle station. We are
investing $15 million in this program; we have been working closely with
Aboriginal leaders to design the facility. It will provide 16 or so places for young men, in particular,
between the ages of 14 and 17 years. It will deliver a culturally
appropriate alternative rehabilitation pathway. It will be a sentencing option
or alternative for the courts. We also providing $240 000 to two other
Aboriginal corporations, and they will progress the planning for other safe
place residential accommodation proposals in Derby and Kununurra. We are also
delivering the Kimberley community action fund, with delivered grants to 12
local projects, including Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation for its family
empowerment program and Wunan Foundation's swimming the river on
horseback program.
We have also rolled out the Target
120 early intervention program across regional WA. The program itself is about early intervention into families,
which we brought in when we came to office. It is not just about the end
of the train line; it is about actually doing something with families to try to
intervene and assist to prevent young people getting caught in antisocial or
criminal behaviour. The program has been incredibly successful since February
2019 and 216 young people have participated. It has shown a significant
reduction in contact with police by the people engaged, compared with past
performance, with a 65 per cent reduction in contact with police.
We have a very practical and
pragmatic program to deal with youth offending that intervenes early—and
rehabilitation programs as well. We are investing $350 million-plus from the
announcement we made yesterday into upgrading and improving remote Aboriginal
communities. I might also remind members that back in 2015–16, the then
government had a plan to close remote Aboriginal communities. Members might
recall the then government described Aboriginal men living in these facilities
as sex offenders, broadly. They might remember that was the case back when
members opposite were last in office. That is the way they approached those
issues back when they were in office. We are investing more in remote Aboriginal
communities and in Aboriginal programs than any government before.