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6 JUNE, 2023
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SIG N U P N O W!
Planting the seed of hope The theme of this year’s National Reconciliation Week was ‘Be a Voice for Generations’. National Reconciliation Week, which ran from May 27 to June 3, marked two significant milestones – the historic 1976 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. On Saturday, May 27, Brett Barnett hosted the Cary Street tree planting ceremony. Mr Barnett is a proud Wathaui man whose tribe comes from far north Queensland. “It’s our culture, we live off the land and our trees are important to us,” he said. “We are planning to add a sign with a barcode where people can scan it and read information where they can learn about healing and remedies that some of these trees have.” Mr Barnett has lived in Cary Street for more than 20 years and he hopes that the journey to reconciliation is one centred on empowerment. “We’d like Indigenous people to be more recognised and have a voice,” he said. “We want to be able to teach all cultures and walks of life about Indigenous culture. We just want people to have a good understanding of our culture and our knowledge.” Brett and Dakota Barnett planted trees at Cary Street Pocket Park in Sunshine North. (Supplied)
Police reach out to youth The Embedded Youth Outreach Project (EYOP), a Victoria Police initiative aimed at preventing youth offending, will soon be rolled out in Brimbank as concerns about youth crime mount. The program responds to young people who are at risk of long term involvement in the criminal justice system. Victoria Police youth portfolio holder, Commander Mark Galliott, said the unique program involves police pairing up with youth
workers to provide an after hours response and referral service for vulnerable young people who come into contact with police. “EYOP has been operating across Wyndham, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Dandenong, Casey and Pakenham areas for nearly five years with great success,” he said. “Given the areas share similar challenges, EYOP will expand from Wyndham into Brimbank and Melton. Given youth offending is overrepresented in these areas, this will ensure the program is reaching those who need it the most.”
Commander Galliott said police officers have seen great benefit in pairing up with youth workers to tackle issues including, breakdowns in family relationships, alcohol or drug abuse, unemployment, mental health issues or disengagement from school. “Youth workers have a different approach, with their own set of skills and knowledge in being able to assess a young person’s risk and provide referrals to the appropriate services,” he said. “Police officers learn from these interactions and subsequently better engage with young
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people in their work.” The EYOP will operate seven days a week outside of business hours to reflect the times when police most commonly encounter at-risk young people and when services may not be readily available. Commander Galliott said “locking up” young people should be the last option for police. “We need to work collaboratively with support agencies to ensure our young people are better engaged and have the opportunity to contribute positively to the community,” he said.
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By Hannah Hammoud