Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to take this time to quickly acknowledge the wonderful contributions that Streetwork Australia have made over the past two years in helping young Australians reclaim their lives from the adversity that they've faced. This NGO has been the lead agency for a collaborative program under the Safer Communities Fund early intervention grant on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs. The crucial work Streetwork has been doing has seen a preservation in the safety of Australians through funding local crime prevention activities that address antisocial behaviour by youth at high risk. It has helped marginalised youth at high risk between the ages of 12 and 24 to develop life skills, including educational and vocational skills, to prevent them from becoming entrenched in the criminal justice system and to promote inclusion and community resilience. Already, the program has increased the life satisfaction of its participants by 20 per cent and improved education outcomes by 80 per cent for those who had education related challenges, and 82 per cent of young people have not reoffended while in the program. It cares for, educates, encourages and supports kids to make the right choices, because it doesn't write them off. In turn, it means the risk of recidivism is drastically reduced.

We can learn a lot from Streetwork, and it's a beautiful thing that it exists to be the voice of the marginalised in its advocacy to government. As a former board member, I note that unfortunately the funding is due to sunset on 30 April 2024. Streetwork has conducted its work on $1.4 million over a two-year period. Supporting our youth, seeing them reach their potential and making communities safer are things we should all support.