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Orange Electorate Midnight Basketball

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Speakers - Turner=20 Mr Russell
Business - Privat= e=20 Members Statements, PRIV

ORANGE ELECTORATE MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL

Page: 4623

Mr RUSSELL TURNER (Orang= e) [5.38=20 p.m.]: An issue that arises in every electorate is how to deal with youth = who=20 run off the tracks and get into trouble. We hope is it only temporary, but= how=20 do we redirect them into a more meaningful way of life so they do not get = into=20 trouble with the police and other authorities? On Saturday 20 October a gr= oup of=20 community organisations in Orange established what is called midnight=20 basketball, although it starts at 7.30 p.m. It is designed to take at-risk= youth=20 off the street on Saturday nights. The great news is that after only two w= eeks=20 the tournament has a full enrolment; a waiting list of participants has al= ready=20 developed. The first night of midnight basketball attracted some 40 teenag= ers of=20 both sexes; by the second week it had grown to the maximum of 60 participa= nts.=20 The target range is young people aged between 12 and 18 and, as I said, it= is=20 targeted at youth who are considered by the community to be at risk.
The=20 scheme aims to balance recreational activity with educational workshops ab= out=20 general life skills. Young people are picked up from their home by volunte= ers=20 and taken to the Anzac Park Sports Stadium by 7.30 p.m. When they arrive a= t the=20 complex they are given a meal, after which they are split into groups. Whi= le two=20 groups play basketball the others learn basic finance skills and how to ma= nage a=20 mobile telephone so that they do not get into trouble with their accounts,= look=20 for a job and create a resume. Those who do not want to go on to year 12 a= re=20 shown opportunities that are available through TAFE to achieve an apprenti= ceship=20 and other good things. The groups swap over during the night. As a sweeten= er the=20 youths must participate in activities such as learning finance skills befo= re=20 they are allowed to play basketball. So there is one rule for the=20 night.

Midnight basketball has been made possible through private a= nd=20 public sector sponsorship. As I said, it relies on volunteers to stage the= =20 nights. Midnight basketball has been developed by the Department of Housin= g, and=20 I congratulate and thank Ian Middleton from the department for his assista= nce=20 with the scheme. The Police and Community Youth Club and the Orange police= also=20 support it. The good news is that the Wellington Police and Community Yout= h Club=20 has started up again, and recently I met the two police officers in Wellin= gton=20 who have taken the club under their wing after it was closed for some mont= hs.=20 The Department of Community Services is also supportive of the scheme, as = is=20 Orange City Council and the Department of Sport and Recreation.

As = I=20 said, midnight basketball is held at the Anzac Park Sports Stadium, of whi= ch the=20 Orange community is proud. Hopefully, the complex will be included in the= =20 proposed upgrade of that area by Orange City Council. I understand that th= e=20 scheme has been staged in Sydney and I assume it is either underway, or is= about=20 to get underway, in other areas of New South Wales. As I said, the prime r= eason=20 for starting the scheme was the concern expressed by organisations about t= he=20 antisocial behaviour. As soon as one mentions antisocial behaviour the kid= s say=20 they have nothing to do. Part of the reason is that they lack confidence i= n=20 themselves, and they have little to do because some of them get little gui= dance=20 from their parents. This scheme gives them an opportunity to meet people o= utside=20 their regular group of friends and it gives them confidence to handle thei= r own=20 finances. While the initial response has been a maximum of 60 participants= , with=20 a waiting list, I hope to report to the House in 12 months time on the=20 continuing success of midnight basketball in Orange.

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