NEWS UPDATE

8th May 2001

Communiqué from the New National Youth Peak Organisation

On May 4th & 5th 2001, all the State youth peak bodies from across the country, as well as major national youth organisations met in Melbourne to discuss the establishment of a new national youth affairs peak body.

The two-day meeting was very successful as it set in train the development of a new national peak body for youth affairs. Since the defunding of the Australian Youth Policy & Action Coalition (AYPAC) in 1998, and despite a lack of resources, the youth affairs sector has maintained strong networks in order to keep youth affairs on the national agenda.

The new national peak body will be made up of a broad-based membership of community sector organisations who work with and for the interests of young people.

As a group we are committed to establishing a strong representative voice at national level for all young people.

We invite all people interested in the issues that affect young people's lives to become members of the new peak body, to ensure that young people have the opportunity to have their voices heard.

We call upon the Federal Government to recognise the value of an organised representative voice and fund this organisation in line with their commitment to govern for all Australians.

The group will be meeting again in August 2001 to formally establish the new peak body.

CONTACT : Bernice Smith, Phone (07) 3844 7713
(member of the National Youth Affairs Network)