Rottodollars

Fancy up to $5000?

That's what the State Government is offering if you have a good idea to keep young people on the path of righteousness later this year.

“The State Government wants not-for-profit groups and local government agencies to provide a range of initiatives during Leavers that maximise the safety and enjoyment of celebrations,” said Community Safety Minister John Kobelke.

We're sceptical - end-of-exam partying doesn't typically feature safety and enjoyment at the same time - but it's worth a try.

The Minister said (in his press release) he was particularly interested in initiatives that would target school leavers and their parents to help reduce binge drinking and other physical harm during celebrations.

Those binge-drinking parents! But at least they do it in the privacy of their Thomson Bay/Geordie Bay bungalows, and don't stagger about the streets playing 10,000 Maniacs at max volume.

Other plans (says the Minister's media release) included implementing ‘driver reviver’ stops en route to key Leavers’ destinations and continuing key strategies such as wristbands for 2007 school leavers, outreach services and diversionary activities by non-government groups.

“School leavers going to Dunsborough, Busselton and Rottnest will require photo ID to access activities and services, which should help eliminate the problem of ‘toolies’, or older non-schoolies, from gatecrashing and causing problems,” Mr Kobelke says.

Toolies! Schoolies! Hooley-dooley!

Rotto Bloggo's brillaint idea is to run craft sessions for schoolies manufacturing drinkmats that look like the genuine antiques pictured above so we can put them on eBay.

Start counting the money now.