07 April 2008

7 Apr 08: I attended a Work for the Dole graduation ceremony at Yarra Bay House in La Perouse. The graduates participated in the refurbishment of the Yarra Bay House and the transformation of former Long Bay Detention Centre cells. They learned skills in gardening, painting and trades assistance and some graduates are now in the workforce.
Yarra Bay House will be used for community purposes by the La Perouse Land Council and Guriwal Aboriginal Corporation.
The work at Long Bay involved the transformation of 100 cells, which were previously used as weekend detention facilities, into accommodation for recently released prisoners and for emergency accommodation.