In 2004 a group of eager young males and a females aged between 16 and 25 years were able to get behind the wheel under the careful eye of qualified driving instructors as part of a joint initiative between Ganbina and the RACV’s Rural Road Safety Program.

The Koori Driver Skills program involved 16 Indigenous youth participating in a multi-level program assisting them with:

• Obtaining the correct documentation and certificates required for proof of identity
• Learning road laws
• Undertaking driving lessons with a qualified instructor
• Preparing them for either learner or provisional driving licences

In addition to driver training the program focused on road safety - making sure participants were road ready. They committed to complementary activities designed to enhance their road safety skills including a First Aid Level 2 course, attending a Magistrates Court and Police Traffic briefing and learning car basics at a Motor Mechanic Introduction course.

Ganbina hosted the program recognising that, given the relatively poor public transport services in the area, the ability to legally drive is a key to obtaining employment for many koori youth.

“Additional support from the Berg Family Foundation has enabled the program to continue in 2005 and beyond.”