Opening Addresses - YHM 09

The YHM 09 Conference opened with three addresses: Kevin Crowe, President of YAA, Geoff Provest, State Member for Tweed, and Michael Coffey, CEO of YAA. 

Kevin Crowe, President of YAA welcomed participants, congratulating the sector in NSW on working tirelessly to keep on top of the changes that have happened in the past year post the White Paper, but said there are impacts yet to come from changes under the implementation of the NSW Action Plan on Homelessness, the changes to job placement and training schemes at the Federal level and the changes to the child protection system in NSW.

Listen to the address by Kevin Crowe.

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Geoff Provest, State Member for Tweed gave a personal perspective of his growth in awareness of homelessness issues in his electorate and described the Square One project, a whole of community response initiated by Geoff which is now attracting significant funding support from the private sector for building a new crisis accommodation facility in Tweed Heads.

Listen to the address by Geoff Provest.

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Michael Coffey, CEO of YAA argued that for the 30 years of YAA's organisational life, youth homelessness has been society's ‘best kept secret’. He declared, however, that it was the job of everyone working in the sector to be optimistic particularly with the opportunities opened up through the White Paper. He commented that on the basis of his study tour earlier this year, the subject of a later workshop, he believes that Australia is ahead of the rest of the world in responding to youth homelessness.

Listen to the address by Michael Coffey.

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