The NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health (NSW CAAH) and the Primary Health and Community Partnerships Branch of the NSW Department of Health are seeking comment and feedback on the draft NSW Youth Health Policy 2010-2015: healthy bodies, healthy minds, vibrant futures.

The draft NSW Youth Health Policy and feedback form are now available on the NSW CAAH website.

Please make your feedback as specific as possible. For example, if you can envision that something can be improved, please suggest specific wording. The layout of the draft has not been professionally designed and we welcome suggestions about this also. The final version will include a 24 page booklet and an A3 summary.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss anything further, please contact:

• Fiona Robards, Coordinator, NSW CAAH on (02) 9845 3338 or by email: fionar5@chw.edu.au  or
• Prof David Bennett, Head, NSW CAAH on (02) 9845 2446 or by email: davidb3@chw.edu.au

Please email your feedback form to caah@chw.edu.au by Monday 18 January 2010. Alternatively you can mail your response to NSW CAAH, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, 2145.

Responses by 18 January are appreciated. We value your feedback and if the holiday period prohibits your response by this date, NSW CAAH will accept feedback until the end of January.

From 19 December 2009, there are changes to the Graduated Licensing Scheme for learner drivers.

Learner drivers who complete a one hour structured driving lesson with a fully licensed driving instructor can record three hours driving experience in their Learner driver log book.

A maximum of 10 hours of lessons will be accepted and recorded as 30 hours in the Learner driver log book.

In addition, learner drivers who are aged 25 and over will no longer be required to present a Learner driver log book prior to attempting the driving test.

Note: These changes do not mean driving lessons are compulsory or that you should stop having lessons after reaching the 10 hours of training.

Structured lessons

A fully licensed driving instructor must develop each structured lesson in conjunction with the supervising driver and their learner driver using the Driving instructor structured lesson planner.

Driving instructors are required to keep a copy of each lesson plan completed in the Driving instructor structured lesson planner for auditing purposes. This is in order to ensure that learner drivers are receiving high quality structured lessons tailored to the needs of each learner driver.

Each lesson must aim to develop and enhance the learner driver’s practical application of low risk driving principles, as outlined in the Learner driver log book.

The Structured lesson record keeper is a summary of the structured lessons conducted on road by a fully licensed driving instructor.

Structured lesson record keeper inserts are available from RTA Motor Registries, RTA Contact Centres or you can download a copy by accessing the link at the bottom of this page.

This insert must be attached to the Declaration of Completion, on page 111 of the Learner driver log book.

Structured driving lessons are to be recorded on the Structured lesson record keeper in order to be recognised under this new scheme. In addition any lessons recorded in the Learner driver log book prior to 19 December 2009 can be transferred from the log book to the insert.

A Supplementary Declaration is included on the insert and must be signed by a supervising driver for the insert to be recognised under this new scheme.

Lessons conducted at night (between sunset and sunrise) count for only one hour of night driving towards the required 20 hours, with two hours to be added to day driving hours in the log book.

When a learner driver has recorded 10 hours of lessons, on the Structured lesson record keeper, then the driving instructor resumes entering the lesson hours into the Learner driver log book.

For further information, call the RTA 13 22 13 or go to www.rta.nsw.gov.au

With the Conference almost wrapped up in Copenhagen, World Leaders still haven’t come to an agreement on Climate Change. Negotiations have been extended until Monday, but time is running out.
 
On Thursday at Copenhagen, observers were locked out of the Bella Centre and police beat and tear-gassed peaceful protesters in the snow, when the talks were collapsing and world leaders like Obama were rumoured to not be coming any more.
 
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition ran a petition that was presented to Mr Rudd on Thursday, and they asked Youth to sign a petition and send a message of support to Pacific Island negotiators. It was to no avail though as things are still at a deadlock. 
 
US President Barack Obama has announced a climate deal in Copenhagen with other major world leaders and it is reported that the agreement includes a commitment from wealthy and key developing nations to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. If the summit votes in favour of the deal, it will be a statement of intent, not a legally binding treaty.
 
If you’re interested in the developments, check out the Australian Youth Climate Coalition website.

Oxfam Australia and Culturalista are putting on a new Express Your Reality Art/Writing Competition!

Two $500 prizes are up for grabs, along with a bunch of other prizes.

All entrants have the chance to be part of an exhibition at Oxfam's Refugee Realities simulation in Canberra 2010 and/or published in Culturalista magazine. Entrants can be any age and live (primarily) anywhere in Australia.

Entries must express the reality of being a refugee, past, present or future.

Entries can be in any visual or writing form, with a $500 prize for both sections.

For example: 

• paintings,
• photos,
• stories,
• poems,
• news,
• sculpture, etc.

All entrants must be current or former refugees.

Closing date for entries is February 28th, 2010.

Any questions and for entry forms and posters please contact expressreality@oxfam.org.au or Dustin on 0428 385 272.
              

Need to satisfy a New Year’s Resolution and looking for something to do in the new year?

Volunteer in a remote Indigenous Australian community for 10 weeks!

Youth Challenge Australia has availabilities in our January Central Australia program and is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to fill these places.

The opportunity of volunteering in one of Australia’s remote, Indigenous communities has been for many, one of the most rewarding and holistic experiences in building an understanding of Indigenous Australian cultures. In fact, the experience can be so profound and life changing, YCA volunteers often elect to continue volunteering in the community after their project time is finished! Due to their remote location, such communities often experience great difficulty in attracting effective, long term staff to their social and educational programs and this is where you, the YCA volunteer, can make a difference!

YCA has been working with a number of communities in Central Australia since 2004 - to date we have run projects in Yuendumu, Ikuntji, Kintore, Alice Springs and Yulara. Currently, YCA is looking for volunteers to work in Yuendumu, Docker River, and Mutitjulu for 10 weeks from January 23rd 2010.

To find out more about this program or to apply visit the YCA website:

www.youthchallenge.org.au/Central-Australia

Helping youth to plant seeds for a greener future

Youth Community Greening is an environmental education program targeting disadvantaged urban and rural youth.

If your interested in greening your City check out the site below.

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/education/community_greening/youth_community_greening

The Inspire Foundation and the Brain & Mind Research Institute are serious about understanding the mental health and wellbeing of young people in Australia. We are inviting you to tell us what you think in an online survey exploring mental health issues and help seeking attitudes, how young people use information communication technologies and how technology might be used to encourage young people to engage with mental health services.

If you are 16-24 years of age, visit www.matespeak.com.au to complete the survey and tell us what you think!

You can also help out by sending the survey to other young people you know via email, social networking sites, twitter, blogs, forums or any other way you can think of! This will help us to engage with and hear from as many young people as possible.

www.matespeak.com.au

Early school leavers and young people without Year 12 or equivalent qualifications are particularly vulnerable to the labour market effects of an economic downturn.

On 30 April 2009 the Australian, State and Territory Governments, through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), agreed to a Compact with Young Australians to increase young people’s engagement with education and training pathways. This joint action will ensure that as the economy recovers from the global recession, young Australians will have the skills required to realise their potential.

The Compact with Young Australians focuses on the importance of education and training for young people by supporting young people to gain skills and knowledge through stronger engagement in education, training and employment. Under the Compact:

• all young people will be required to complete Year 10 through a National Youth Participation Requirement and then to be in full time education, training or employment until the age of 17
• 15 to 24 years olds will have access to an education or training entitlement
• changed conditions to Youth Allowance (Other) and Family Tax Benefit (Part A) for young people aged under 21 without Year 12 or an equivalent qualification, making education and training a precondition for income support.

For more details, visit the 'Compact with Young Australians' page on the DEEWR website.