Thursday, 14 August 2025
Adjournment
Banksia Gardens Community Services
Banksia Gardens Community Services
Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (17:24): (1268) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence. I ask the minister to visit Banksia Gardens Community Services in Broadmeadows to meet the remarkable young people involved in the Good People Act Now program, GPAN. GPAN is a youth-led initiative making a meaningful impact on our community. It empowers young people to challenge gender stereotypes, foster respectful relationships and advance gender equity. Born out of a response to the devastating rates of family violence in Hume, GPAN is driven by passionate young leaders committed to building a safer, more respectful world for everyone. When I attended a GPAN session, I was deeply moved. These young leaders, many with lived experience, are speaking out with courage and clarity. They are challenging harmful gender stereotypes and promoting respectful relationships through workshops, performances, school visits and social media. Their work is powerful and their impact is real. What struck me most was their honesty and heart. They are not just advocating for change, they are living it. They are showing their peers what it means to stand up, speak out and support one another. Their leadership is inspiring, and it is creating ripple effects across our community.
Banksia Gardens has been a vital support for GPAN, offering a safe and inclusive space for these young people to grow and to lead. I want to acknowledge the incredible work of Georgia Arnold-Ransome, the gender equity coordinator, whose warmth and dedication have helped shape GPAN into the force it is today. In a time when gender-based violence continues to harm so many, GPAN offers hope. It shows us what is possible when we invest in young people and trust them to lead. I look forward to the minister visiting Banksia Gardens, listening to these young voices and exploring how we can support and expand this gender equity model across Victoria, because when young people lead with heart, they do not just change lives, they change communities.