YAPA media release: 1 July 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
The peak organisation representing young people in NSW and the services that support disadvantaged youth, today expressed its utter disappointment that the new Minister for Roads has apparently halted a scheme that would make 6,000 disadvantaged young people safer drivers through access to 10 hours of free instruction, as well as easing the burden for each of them and their low-income families.
The Youth Action and Policy Association (YAPA) NSW is the peak organisation representing young people and the services that support them in NSW, also expressed their disappointment at the lack of transparency from the new government on the status of the scheme when asked on several occasions for updates.
The original package, announced by former Premier Keneally on February 12 for immediate implementation, was designed to benefit 100,000 learner drivers each year (according to the former government’s press release) and included:
- “A $3.6 million, three year fund to provide 10 free one hour professional driving lessons for up to 6,000 disadvantaged learner drivers; and
- A $1.2 million injection to organisations that make cars or supervisors available to disadvantaged learner drivers – tripling the current funding of $400,000 per year.
- An across the board reduction in minimum log book hours for learner drivers from 120 hours to 100 hours;
- A further 20 hour discount for learners who get 10 hours of professional instruction – meaning they only have to do 80 log book hours;”
(Source: Introducing a Fairer System for Learner Drivers Press release, Kristina Keneally– 12/02/11)
The package was a significant backflip by the previous government, after years of work by YAPA and other groups to show how their desire for road safety was blinding them to the detrimental effects of their policies on young people and families in other aspects of their lives.
Work on implementing the package was to begin in February, ready for the scheme to commence today. However, only hours before its intended commencement, the office of new Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay, and his agency responsible, the Roads and Traffic Authority, were unable to provide information on the status of the scheme after a number of requests for information from YAPA.
YAPA Chief Executive, Reynato Reodica said struggling families with children requiring licenses would be shattered by the new government’s actions. “For many of these young people and their families, a license means access to employment and education, young people being able to exercise their caring responsibilities for their loved ones, and a way of breaking through the social isolation in rural and regional NSW. But the current system has proven to be too high a road block that has stopped them from accessing these important things.”
The importance of a license was highlighted on the YAPA “Lose 120 hours for Learners” Facebook page, with comments when the original package was announced that included:
"this is the best news - I read the press release to my entire class who started screaming and running out of the rooms shouting the hours were reduced resulting in mass excitement lol this is great news [sic]".
“The government has let down the young people of NSW, especially those who are most in need of a fairer system, whose families can’t afford comprehensive car insurance in order to get relief from the excessive requirements of the current scheme. The original package went a long way towards balancing the need for safety with the need for young people to access all that a licence brings with it" Mr Reodica said.
He also expressed his frustration that Minister Gay and the Roads and Traffic Authority had failed to respond to requests since April this year for information, by YAPA as the primary stakeholder group in this policy. “This goes squarely against the Premier’s election promise to ‘return transparency and accountability to government.’”
“We have been seeking the opportunity to let the new government know about the situation families were facing and the desperation that families faced when trying to work with the current scheme, without success. This failure to implement this package suggests the government is not in touch with the reality faced by young people and their families,” Mr Reodica said.
YAPA urges the government to implement the changes, which are long overdue in addressing the failure of the current system to recognise the needs of disadvantaged young people and their families.
Media contact
Reynato Reodica
02 9281 5522 ext 1
