AUSTRALIA

Commission for Children and Young People
Queensland Government
www.childcomm.qld.gov.au

The Commission for children and young people was established in 2000 to protect the rights, interests and wellbeing of all Queenslanders under 18 years of age. The Commission promotes child (and youth) friendly communities through its core functions, which, in accordance with the Commission for Children and Young People Act 2000, include:

Advocating for the rights, interests and well being of children and young people under 18 years of age;
Administering a State-wide community visitor program to provide advocacy and support services to children and young people in youth detention centres, authorised mental health services and out of home residential care;
Receiving, seeking to resolve and investigating complaints about the delivery of services provided to children and young people subject to orders or intervention of the Department of Families;
Establishing youth and other expert advisory committees to advise the commissioner about specific issues related to children and young people.
Monitoring and reviewing laws, policies and practices relating to the delivery of services to children and young people or that otherwise impact on them;
Administering employment screening for child-related employment;
Conducting and coordinating research into issues impacting on children and young people.

Specific projects recently undertaken by the Commission which seek to further advance the concept of child-friendly communities include:

Developing a "Working With Children Kit" for non-government agencies, which will provide advice about the other work practices and policies to ensure the suitability of people working with children;
Organising a "Youth Parliament" which will held in October this year;
Publishing a "Blueprint for a Child and Youth Friendly Commonwealth", which records the views of young people obtained at the Commonwealth People's Festival in October 2001. This publication is downloadble from the CFC Database in the Resources area.

Contact
Natalie Giess
Commission for Children and Young People
P.O. Box 12671
Brisbane George Street
Queensland 4003
Australia
Telephone (61) 7 32475525 or 1800 688 275 (Free call)
Fax (61) 7 32475507
E-mail wmaster@childcomm.qld.gov.au

Children’s Services Outdoor Play Design Brief
Victoria
www.prav.asn.au/

The aim of this project is to promote play and its value. The current project is set to update the Outdoor Play - a Design Guide for Children's Services Centres (1991), investigate current issues in the provision of outdoor play opportunities for children, and develop a Design Brief that addresses current issues. The PRAV represents the play sector on the Australian Standards Committee and provides expert advice on playground Standards. It also collects, disseminates and exchanges information about play and play environments; conducts training programs on planning, design, management, and maintenance of play spaces; provides telephone and email advisory service on play development issues; promotes research into the safety of playgrounds, use of playgrounds and their value; promotes better design of play spaces; facilitates risk assessment s of playgrounds and play equipment; provides a resource for, and supports the play industry.

Contact
The Playgrounds and Recreation Association of Victoria (PRAV)
PO Box 2060 North Melbourne
Victoria
Australia
Telephone (+61) 305103 9412 4013
Fax (+61) 03 94124019
E-mail prav@netspace.net.au