Strategy aims to give voice to youth

Providing a voice and leadership to youth is a key priority of a new five-year strategy.

Councillors unanimously endorsed the Baw Baw youth strategy to improve overall health and wellbeing of those in the 12 to 25-year age bracket.

Five priority areas identified are: voice and leadership; support and services; safety; learning and growing; and, health and wellbeing.

“The strategy aims to develop a stronger relationship with younger people, the services which support them and change the environments they live,” an officer report said.

The report noted two community feedback periods in June/July and November/December last year had helped shape the strategy.

Feedback showed younger people wanted to achieve at school, find employment, be successful and engage with sport in the short term.

Long term, they wanted jobs in careers they like, achieve personal goals such as moving out of home and travel, and further study.

When asked what places were important to them, shopping and dining areas, natural spaces and bushland, parks and outdoor spaces as well as public transport were identified.

The draft version was available online for five weeks, distributed through council networks and promoted at the Warragul Farmers’ Market.

This resulted in 66 online downloads and two survey responses - one supportive and the second questioning the high-level of detail opposed to deliverable actions.

Endorsing the strategy, Cr Jazmin Tauru said it was developed with 156 youth surveyed.

Cr Tauru said the document was well organised, with clear priorities, goals and actionable steps, and was easy and suitable for anyone to read, follow and understand.

“It demonstrates our commitment to listening to and working with young people,” she added.

With youth representing 15.8 per cent of Baw Baw’s population, Cr Tauru said they clearly want more open space and opportunities.

“There are so many ideas that they are bringing to the table for us to listen to,” she added. “They are the future of our communities and supporting their needs, wants, ideas and visions are really paramount.”

Cr Tricia Jones said the youth strategy was a key strategic document used to guide all sectors of council.

“Without a youth strategy, council risk failing to meet the needs of younger people within our community,” she said.

Highlighting that youth could experience greater health inequities than any other section of the community, Cr Jones said it was vital to review the long-standing youth strategy to ensure it was “a good fit for the next five years”.

She praised the work of officers to utilise the Youth Voices group to formalise age appropriate questions for the survey.

Cr Peter Kostos called on youth to step up and have more of a say on their future.

Cr Kostos said youth represented 15.8 per cent - or 9480 people - in Baw Baw Shire, yet only 156 youth - or 1.5 per cent of the youth population - shared feedback for the youth strategy.

“What I want to see is much more, much more, participation by the youth in this shire,” he said.

Cr Farhat Firdous said the strategy was “a great step in the right direction”.

“But there is a lot more work that needs to happen in this space, especially around safety,” Cr Firdous said. “If we can make the most vulnerable in the community safe, I think everyone would be safe.”