MEDIA RELEASE

15 May 2001

Budget - Young people lose another opportunity in Rural Victoria

Janet Jukes Executive Officer for the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc. (YACVic) expressed dismay in a $1million budget shortfall in funding for the Office For Youth FReeZA program. This represents a 50% funding shortfall.

FReeZA is a program that provides small grants for local communities of young people to plan and implement all ages, drug & alcohol free events that feature live bands and dance parties across Victoria.
"This particularly devastating for the thousands young people in rural and regional Victoria who volunteer on FReeZA Committees and the 130,000 young people who attend the drug and alcohol free FReeZA events each year", Ms Jukes said.

YACVic recently visited Youth Committees, in every region across Victoria. These visits emphasised the limited number of opportunities available to young people to participate in their local community. This leads to feeling of isolation from the community and can result in anti-social behaviour. Boredom was cited as a major issue for young people in small towns and centres, with high unemployment and limited recreational opportunities. The FReeZA program with its community development focus has made a positive impact on these issues.

"The FReeZA program is about more than entertainment:-it's about

young people participating constructively in their community to build something positive for themselves;
it provides young people with an opportunity to develop skills that will help them get jobs;
and most importantly, it is an activity that is developed by young people for young people thus providing an opportunity to develop and express their own unique youth cultures" Ms Jukes said.
If the $1m funding shortfall is not found in the next 6 months FReeZA will cease to exist. This will be an enormous blow to young people who already have limited access to funds to meaningfully participate in their local communities.

The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, is the peak body and leading policy advocate for youth issues in Victoria. We have a membership of around 500 organisations and individuals.

Further media comment contact Janet Jukes, Executive Officer 0411 484 428 or
Meredith Gawler, Young Media Spokesperson 0402 822 488