Geoff Helisma | The Independent contacted the NSW Treasurer’s office and asked: Given that Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has made much of the state’s youth employment performance, emphasising that state-wide it is the lowest it has ever been, please outline what the perceived problem in the Coffs Grafton area is; and, What is the government doing to change this? The inquiry was subsequently redirected to the office of Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro. A spokesperson for Mr Barilaro provided the following statement: “We know young people in regional areas are facing issues unique to their circumstances – from education to health to a lack of engagement in their community. “Youth Unemployment has always been a focus of the NSW Government, delivering programs such as the $100 million Smart Skilled and Hired to help young people find a job, and more recently, in this year’s budget, 100,000 fee free apprenticeships! “Youth unemployment is not a simple fix, but what is clear, is we cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome – we have to be bold and try different approaches to help our youth. “That is why the NSW Government recently held youth forums in 40 regional towns, including Grafton, which brought together young people, Local Members, and representatives from local NGOs and community services. “This enabled face-to-face discussions with the kids and young adults in our regions about all things that affect them – be it drug use, suicide, youth housing, crime, etc – and these consultations were the vital first step in helping to shape new policy options. “Thanks to the young people who gave us their time and their honest and open feedback, we now have a better understanding to help improve the lives of their peers across the state. “Using the findings from those forums, the NSW Government is in the process of developing a set of proposals to form a Regional Youth Policy, to be announced in the coming months.” The spokesperson also pointed out that a “quarter of the employees at the new Grafton jail are under 25, which doesn’t include the apprentices being trained”.