NEWS UPDATE

1 November 2000

Executive Officers Update, Janet Jukes

As many of you will know, I accepted the job of Executive Officer just days before the re-Launch function on 17th August at the Melbourne Town Hall, where the Minister for Youth Affairs, The Hon. Justin Madden officially announced our refunding. Since then it's been a roller coaster ride, full of thrills and turns and adrenalin rushes.

I suspect the excitement is only just beginning.

The first task has been to find YACVic a new home and a new team. I'm pleased to say we've done an excellent job on both accounts, and (surprisingly) with a great deal of ease. We hope that you'll drop in next time you're in town and visit our office and get to know the team.

As it turns out however, that was the easy part! This next nine months is going to be a challenging time for YACVic. Not only do we have to hit the ground running, we have been presented with a magnificent opportunity to build a new organisation. We have the opportunity to take the best from the past, and build on it! However, having nearly wound up we're not exactly picking up where we left off.

YACVic today is half the size (3.7eft) of YACVic before the first round of tenders last year, yet we have the same job to do. In fact, arguably we have an even bigger job. As I'm sure you are all well aware the Labor Government is well on it's way to implementing it's policy agenda. This is reflected by a plethora of major reviews, ministerial statements, and consultation processes ranging from Homelessness, Community Services, Community Corrections and Juvenile Justice to the most recent announcements to changes for Education and changes to laws that recognise same sex relationships - and that's only State Government initiatives! Clearly there is heaps of work - the question for us is where to begin.

YACVic, though the tender process, has committed itself to conducting multiphase annual policy forums that will include face to face rural and metropolitan consultations, youth consultation processes, surveys, and partnership activities with other key stakeholders. This will provide a mechanism for drawing the attention of the Government and the Opposition to key policy issues for young people and those who work with them in Victoria. With this goal in mind we have already established a time-table of monthly meetings with the Office for Youth, and quarterly meetings with the Minister for Youth Affairs. We are also in the process of establishing working relationships with Local Government networks, and Regional Youth Committees. Meetings with the Opposition are planned for the future.

We are also committed to providing to you with the information that you need to influence policy in your area. We'll do this by producing a regular newsletter for members. This is your information forum so contribute to it and make it what you need. We're also going to produce a quarterly policy issues paper that will provide background on a specific policy issue, discussion about the main areas of concern, and an action list of how you can influence this policy from the ground. We want to be a gate-way, not a gate-keeper to policy debates and we hope that this publication will provide you with some tools to act. Our website and the use of electronic communication will also be a major feature of the "new" YACVic. We have already begun the re-development of our website, and have changed our database so that we can quickly and easily access member's emails. We hope to make the website a dynamic, growing, changing space - so visit it often www.yacvic.org.au.

Finally, building partnerships with other key players in youth policy will be essential if we are to make our presence felt. Regional Youth Committees and Local Government networks are key priority areas, as well as partnership projects with Universities, philanthropic organisations, and other peak organisations such as CWAV and VCOSS.

So as you can see, the ride has just begun. I thank you for your continued support of YACVic and I look forward to working with you in the future to produce positive policy changes for young Victorians.

Janet Jukes
Executive Officer