Last week I was proud to join the Minister for Youth Justice, alongside fellow Redlands colleagues, for a visit to Traction for Young People in Alexandra Hills. As their local member, over the past 18 months I have worked closely with Sandy Murdoch and the team. They are creating real opportunities for at-risk and disengaged young people in our community. It was particularly great to be able to show the minister what a big impact Traction is already making on young lives and how their programs help towards preventing the cycle of crime before it can begin.
Traction’s NextGEN Build Redlands program is focused on building strong social connections to
improve school engagement while mentoring youth and teaching them practical, hands-on skills through bike building. We know that often young people just need the confidence to recognise that somebody is backing them and will support them all the way to create a better future for themselves. That is exactly what Traction offers.
One of Traction’s participants, Ryder, was kind enough to act as our tour guide for the visit. It was wonderful to hear the passion with which he spoke about his project. It really is a space where young people can work towards creating something tangible to be proud of and it teaches them useful skills along the way. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Ryder and the rest of the participants at Traction, in whichever career path they choose to take.
As part of the Crisafulli government’s $115 million investment into early intervention, Traction has
been awarded a $250,000 Kickstarter grant to bolster their vital work in the community. I know that this money will go a long way towards improving and expanding their operations to ensure that even more young people, right across the region, can participate. Kickstarter grants are being delivered across the state to support programs such as this, which are designed to empower and support youth and give them the resources they need to flourish.
Something I will always advocate strongly for is that consequences for criminal offences must be
enforced and are absolutely necessary. Gold standard early intervention such as this seeks to tackle the other side of this issue and prevent at-risk youth from offending in the first place. Along with stronger laws, more police on the beat and effective rehabilitation programs, this is part of the Crisafulli government’s comprehensive plan to make Queensland a safer place after a decade of neglect, weak laws and decline under Labor. I wish Sandy and his team all the best and I am happy to support Traction well into the future.