World Youth Day Amendment Bill 2007
OBJECTIVES:
The object of this Bill is to make various amendments to the World Youth Day Act 2006 (the Principal Act) to make further provision in relation to the planning, coordination and delivery of services in relation to World Youth Day in 2008 and related events.
COMMENTS:
As members of the House all know, World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in Sydney from 15-20 July 2008. Organised by the Catholic Church, World Youth Day gathers young people from around the world to build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures.
In August 2005, Sydney was chosen to host the XXIII World Youth Day. Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne made the announcement at the conclusion of the XX World Youth Day in August 2005. WYD 2008 will be the occasion of the first visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Australia and we very much look forward to welcoming him to the “Southern Land of the Holy Spirit”.
WYD is a series of international and Australian events aimed at young people aged between 16 and 35 years from all corners of the world, culminating in a vigil and mass to be celebrated by the Pope at Randwick racecourse on 20 July 2008. It is estimated that up to 500,000 people will attend the papal mass. This is a truly unique event.
Through the WYD 2008 experience, young people from throughout the world will make a pilgrimage in faith, meet, and experience the love of God. The young people will have an opportunity to rediscover their baptismal calling and the centrality of the sacraments of the Eucharist and reconciliation, and so discover a new apostolic zeal to witness more fully the Gospel in the modern world. All in the context of the beauty of Australia and the hospitality of the Australian people.
“Transforming social realities with the power of the Gospel, to which witness is borne by women and men faithful to Jesus Christ, has always been a challenge and it remains so today at the beginning of the third millennium of the Christian era.” (Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace).
World Youth Day is primarily an opportunity for evangelisation – to receive the Holy Spirit and be witnesses to the world; to draw young people to a deep, life changing experience of God.
WYD08 is concerned with presenting a faith that is engaged in the practical Christian work of love, peace and justice – a faith that reflects the social teaching of the Church. Catholic Social Doctrine develops the following foundational principles in the area of justice, service, development, ecology and peace: The dignity of the human person and human rights, The common good, Subsidiarity, Solidarity, and Stewardship of creation.
From these principles major themes are developed which include preference for the poor, safeguarding the environment, distributive justice, global solidarity and development, the role of government, promotion of peace and disarmament and participation in communal life. From its earliest days of planning, WYD08 has recognised and collaborated in the scoping of a World Youth Day event oriented around the above principles of justice, service, development, ecology and peace.
Kofi Annan, previous Secretary General of the United Nations, stated, “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death”.
Today’s global youth population, ranging in age from 15 to 24 years, is an estimated 1.03 billion, or 18 per cent of the people inhabiting the earth.
The global situation of young people today is characterised by striking paradoxes. There are extreme disparities in terms of economic, technological, social and cultural resources which vary enormously across regions, countries, localities and population groups.
Almost 85% of young people live in developing countries, with approximately 60% in Asia alone. Despite mass urbanisation, the majority live in rural areas. Young men outnumber young women (525 million versus 500 million), while 57 million young men and 96 million young women are illiterate. In developing countries, rapid changes in the social conditions of young people as a result of changing socio-economic and policy structures, and wider global change mean that they face a more precarious future than any preceding generation.
Today’s young generation experiences widening social gaps and faces manifold challenges: it is the young who – perhaps more so than any other social group – encounter the uncertainties and risks generated by the process of economic and cultural globalisation.
The World Youth Day Amendment Bill 2007 will ensure that the NSW Government is able to meet its commitment in ensuring the success of the event and managing its overall impact on Sydney. The Bill will also ensure the necessary support and services will be available to assist in the management and planning of the event.
The Bill makes it clear that the Australian Jockey Club, its chairman and committee are authorised to use or permit the use of Randwick racecourse for WYD, and to enter into agreements with the State of NSW for the use of Randwick racecourse.
The Bill will also restrict the use of air space, aerial advertising and advertising on buildings and structures in and around specified World Youth Day venues and facilities. These restrictions are in line with the restrictions imposed during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It is necessary to restrict the air space over key World Youth Day venues and facilities to ensure the security and amenity of the Pope and the participants.
The restrictions on advertising will protect important commercial relationships between the event organiser and its business partners. During the WYD period from 1 to 31 July 2008, certain powers can be exercised and various activities are prohibited, including the use of illegal car parks, selling prescribed articles, using community land, removing unattended vehicles, road closures and using restricted traffic lanes.
Contracted bus operators for regular passenger services will be required to provide sufficient services for WYD events in accordance with the provisions of existing contractual arrangements.
The Bill will also allow members of the NSW Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Service to assist the authority, other government agencies, and the NSW Police Force in the delivery of services for WYD events.
It is evident that the amendments to the Bill will further improve the Government’s ability to plan, manage and coordinate government services to support WYD next year. The amendments associated with the Bill serve as a symbol of the NSW Government’s commitment to young citizens of the world.
CONCLUSION:
Drawing on my expertise at Wesley Mission, I fully support the NSW Government’s aim to mobilise resources for WYD, to build bridges between the community, and to invite all youth from different Christian and non-Christian denominations to play an active role in this great event, and bridge the gap in our society.
Young people should never be seen as a burden on any society, but as its most precious asset. As students, workers, carers, athletes, musicians, coaches, volunteers and activists, young people are not only shaping the future – they are shaping our communities, every day, right now.
As former Superintendent of Wesley Mission and Member of this Parliament, let us ensure that young people everywhere are given the opportunity to the development and the progress of their societies.
I thank the NSW Government for introducing the World Youth Day Amendment Bill 2007 and I commend the Legislation to the House.
