Below is a round-up of the responses most relevant to the youth sector, along with some related media articles:

Youth Affairs Coalition of Victoria (YACVic)

YACVic welcomes the new Youth Employment Strategy, but like many organisations, points out that, as this won’t start until December 2023 it has left a large cohort of young people in limbo. Youth Connections, which the new strategy encompasses, was defunded in December 2014, so young people are having to wait for a year while the new services are put in place.

For more, go to the YACVic website.

Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT)

YNOT also ‘cautiously welcomes’ the Youth Employment Strategy, but says that it is unclear how social and personal barriers preventing youth from engaging in employment and study will be addressed.

Read the media release. 

Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ)

The YANQ Facebook page has a number of strongly worded postings about the Budget.

Youth Coalition of the ACT

The Youth Coalition of the ACT has a round-up of media reaction to the Budget.  

The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)

ACOSS says the Budget fails the fairness test, although the Government has listened to the community’s concerns about the closure of Youth Connections.

Pro Bono

Pro Bono says the Youth Employment Strategy has been described by the not-for-profit sector as an ‘encouraging move’.

Mission Australia

Mission Australia also welcomes the Youth Employment Strategy, and the fact that some of the punitive measure that affected youth in last year’s budget have been wound back (such as the six-month waiting period for those under 30 to receive welfare payments) though it is still unhappy with the one-month wait for those under 25 to receive welfare payments.

Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL)

The BSL says that the new Youth Employment Strategy is a step in the right direction towards solving the youth unemployment problem, but also has a warning about the one-month waiting period for those 25 years and under to receive welfare payments.

St Vincent de Paul

In a strongly worded statement St Vincent de Paul says that the Budget ‘persists in putting the book into…young people’.  

Media items about the effect of the Budget on young people:

Article from The Australian about new scheme to replace Youth Connections – will be too late for some.

Article from The Australian about waiting one month for welfare payments.  

The Conversation Federal Budget round up.

Read more