On 2 June the newly elected Labor State Government released their first budget with a $233 million surplus. While we welcome attention on priority issues such as housing, cost of living, mental health, and youth participation, young people are still struggling from the impact of COVID-19 and are likely to face long-term effects of the pandemic. So overall we are concerned by the lack of targeted community-based prevention and early intervention support in the priority areas listed below.
Economic participation
What’s happening:
An extra $238 million over the next four years to support training and study in industries that are currently experiencing skills-based shortages (including $208 million for five additional technical colleges (three metropolitan and two regional) to support additional apprenticeships in trades).
$12.7 million over four years to return supported high-demand courses to TAFE SA in care industries.
University scholarships of $5,000 each will be available over four years for teaching students in a bid to strengthen and diversify the profession in South Australia.
Public sector traineeships program has been decommissioned as a cost saving measure ($15.5 million).
YACSA’s take:
YACSA welcomes additional support for training and study as well as the return of supported TAFE SA courses so the training organisation can continue as an important pathway into the labour market and further study for young people.
However, given the disproportionate rate of young people in unstable employment and COVID-related job losses, we want to see a focused commitment to strengthening opportunities for secure full-time employment accessible for young people.
Housing & homelessness
What’s happening:
$177.5 million over four years to construct an additional 400 public houses to address the supply shortage and conducting maintenance on 350 current empty public homes to bring them up to standard.
Funding has been restored to St Vincent De Paul, Catherine House, and Hutt St Centre’s homelessness services, to the tune of $10.4 million over 4 years.
Government will keep working with HomeStart to provide first homebuyers with access to low deposit loans.
YACSA’s take:
Increasing the amount of public housing in SA is a welcome and a much-needed investment in the community with long-term benefits. But as young people make up less than 3 per cent of social housing tenants, we would like to see a focus on ensuring young people have increased access to social housing and associated services.
Additionally, as buying a home is increasingly less obtainable and the majority of young people source housing via the private rental market, the government must provide immediate support for renters to address the significant lack of affordable and accessible rental properties.
Mental health & wellbeing
What’s happening:
$50 million over four years will provide 100 mental health and learning support specialists to work across the 500 public schools in SA.
$157.8 million over four years to provide additional mental health beds in metropolitan and regional hospitals with Queen Elizabeth, Modbury and Noarlunga Hospitals set to gain 24 additional beds each.
An additional $3.1 million funding for the public community mental health crisis team.
$800,000 funding over four years for the Lived Experience Leadership and Advocacy Network (LELAN).
YACSA’s take:
Funding additional mental health support in schools will help young people as they experience long wait-times to access other services, so this is a positive start to providing the early intervention community-based care young people need.
Improved availability of mental health beds in the healthcare system is welcome as it recognises emergency departments are not the environment for anyone experiencing mental health challenges.
However, our consultations with young people about the impacts of COVID-19 have illustrated the need to improve access to non-clinical and community-based support for mental health and wellbeing. Investing in community-based prevention approaches that promote wellbeing would ensure young people have access to support early and locally.
Youth participation
What’s happening:
$80,000 over four years for a Minister’s Youth Advisory Council to provide a direct line of communication to the State Government and facilitate the opportunity to advise the Minister for Human Services on issues relevant to young people across the state.
YACSA’s take:
Young people have the right to participate in all decision-making processes that affect them, so we welcome a formal council to engage with young people, particularly around COVID-19 recovery.
We also hope that this will increase recognition of the importance of youth participation across government as a whole.
A strong youth sector
What’s happening:
$128.9 million over the next five years to meet the costs of residential care and an expected increase to children and young people requiring a child protection statutory response.
$7.5 million over four years rants for services for children and young people in care and their carers, including young people who have left care will be available.
$300,000 in funding over four years for non-profit organisation Gold Foundation to deliver support for young people on the autism spectrum and their families.
$1 million over four years for family drug support including vital counselling.
$1 million over three years to establish two domestic violence prevention and recovery hubs.
$2 million funding over four years for victim support services.
YACSA’s take:
We welcome increased funding that supports children and young people to be safe after they have entered the child protection system.
However, Government needs to commit funding for prevention and early intervention to strengthen families and prevent children and young people entering the overwhelmed child protection system at all.
Want to know more?
Check out our 2022-23 Budget snapshot for a full breakdown here.
