The extent and nature of young people‟s participation in decision making in local government in rural and regional Victoria: A discussion paper by the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria September 2011
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The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria The Victorian Rural Youth Services
The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria The Victorian Rural Youth Services (YACVic) is a vibrant, member based (VRYS) initiative sets out to advance organisation that represents and research, training and policy advocates for young people and the development to support the rural youth organisations that work with them. sector. It aims to promote the strengths YACVic has worked for and with young of young people in rural communities, Victorians and the services that support and address the disadvantages these them for over 50 years. young people can face. The initiative is supported by the VRYS network, a Our vision is for a Victorian community in network of services concerned with which all young people are valued as young people‟s wellbeing in rural Victoria, active participants, have their rights and it operates through the Youth Affairs recognised and are treated fairly and with Council of Victoria. respect.
Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc
Level 2, 172 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9267 3799 Fax: (03) 9639 1622
Website: http://www.yacvic.org.au email: [email protected] This initiative is funded by the State Government of Victoria 3
Summary
This report considers the variety of ways that young people participate in decision-making in rural local governments, and the structures and approaches put into place by councils to support this. These have included the development of youth plans and strategies, consultations with young people, the integration of youth issues into wider council planning, and support for youth councils, committees or action groups. This work considers the many benefits of active youth participation, both to young people and the community, and the need for this to be supported and developed by council as a whole.
Key findings
Young people and local government
Local government is an important and appropriate level for young people to participate in their communities. When properly supported, such participation can enable them to develop a sense of active and positive citizenship, and to build and share their skills in leadership, teamwork and community connections.
- Recommendation: That mechanisms for youth participation within rural local governments receive adequate resources to cover the costs involved. These might include transport, meals, recruitment (including of more diverse youth participants), training and evaluation.
Structures and mechanisms for youth development in councils
Most rural councils include some provision for youth services and / or development, but a significant minority (approx 13%) lack even a designated youth section. Most rural councils (83%) place youth issues under the responsibility of areas of government which might be broadly dubbed community services or community wellbeing. A small minority place it elsewhere (usually under recreation) or outsource it to other organisations.
- Recommendation: That training and support around youth participation be made available to staff across all areas of rural local governments.
Just under half (46%) of rural local governments have produced and / or worked towards a formal youth strategy or plan in the last four years. Many of these plans included very extensive consultations with young people about their priorities, concerns, wellbeing and hopes for their communities.
- Recommendation: That policy-makers concerned with the wellbeing of young people across rural Victoria give further consideration to how existing youth consultations and policy development undertaken at an LGA level might be utilised to inform state-wide work – for example, the upcoming State of Victoria‟s Young People report, which has a rural focus.
In their current council plan, approximately 60% of rural councils made some undertaking to support young people‟s active participation in their communities. In their most recent annual reports, approximately 75% of rural councils reported on some form of youth participation or engagement. Here, the most common areas 4
mentioned were young people‟s involvement in events or activities, followed by references to youth groups attached to council. A majority of rural councils (approximately 65%) have some kind of youth council, advisory body or action group attached to them. Most of these groups undertake to run social events and also provide policy development or advice to council. Any attempt to arrive at a figure for how many rural councils are engaging young people in decision-making at an LGA level must be problematic, given that youth participation takes such varied and changing forms. However, if we use a very broad definition of youth participation – to include councils which have a young engagement mechanism of any kind, or are working towards a current youth strategy which includes participation, or made significant mention of youth participation in their most recent annual report – the figure arrived at is approximately 79%. However, this is only a broad estimate, and even in these local governments, it is likely that there remains significant room for development and improvement.
- Recommendation: That a youth participation approach be incorporated into planning and policy development across rural local governments. This should be recognised as the business of all of council, not merely their youth development teams.
Young people and decision-making
When local governments set out to involve young people in decision-making, this tends to be in relation to youth-specific policies, events, programs or services, or, less commonly, in relation to issues affecting the whole community. A minority of shires have also included in their youth strategies some undertaking to increase young people‟s presence in council itself through work experience, training, recruitment and volunteering.
- Recommendation: That local governments take advantage of resource material available around supporting youth volunteering. Strategies might include marketing volunteering positions with young people in mind, involving current youth volunteers in the promotion and design of council positions, and creating roles with shorter commitment periods or options for working off-site or online. - Recommendation: That staff working with young people in rural local governments receive adequate support in the best-practice use of new technologies, in recognition that this is a growing area of importance in youth participation. - Recommendation: That further attention be paid to how young people’s involvement in FReeZA groups shapes the growth of youth participation in general, in rural local governments.
Like many local governments, rural councils may struggle to engage young people from Indigenous, multicultural or low-income backgrounds. However, they also tend to experience particular difficulties engaging young people in the 18-25 age group, who are likely to leave their home communities for education or work, or become engaged in full-time employment locally, instead.
- Recommendation: That mechanisms and resources produced to support local governments in youth participation take into account the particular challenges posed by rurality (notably geographical distance and the movement of many 5
young people in the 18-25 age group away from their home communities), and provide best practice examples of how to deal with this, including from outside of Victoria. - Recommendation: That rural local governments offer support to older young people who have been involved with council in the past to pass their expertise on to new arrivals. - Recommendation: That these older young people be provided with opportunities to (if they wish) become the next generation of workers and mentors within local government.
Youth councils, action groups and advisory bodies can provide valuable opportunities for young people and become a positive and informative presence in council, and in the wider community. However, it would be unwise to make such groups the sole focus for youth participation in local government. Youth councils and similar groups benefit from a range of supports. These can include adequate resourcing, whole-of-council backing, assistance to undertake more diverse recruitment, and opportunities to network and find out about best practice examples from other local governments, including those outside of Victoria.
- Recommendation: That youth councils and advisory bodies attached to rural local governments be given adequate support to integrate their work, planning and reporting with that of the wider council. This might include opportunities to take part in wider council meetings and decision-making, to evaluate council’s work, and / or to help shape wider council plans. These processes will presumably vary between LGAs, and must take forms which are relevant and helpful to the young participants. - Recommendation: That youth councils and advisory bodies be supported to build strong and positive relationships with mayors, serving councillors and council staff, and to network with similar youth bodies across the state.
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Background
Local government and young people
Local governments hold a diverse range of responsibilities in the areas of health, building, recreation, community, culture, roads, planning, arts and emergency management, and all of these affect young people, in a wide variety of ways. The relationship between young people and their local councils is a topic which has attracted growing interest in recent years. Rob Nabben, in his work on Victoria‟s local government youth charter, and Roger Holdsworth, Helen Stokes, Michelle Blanchard and Nadia Mohamed, in their report Civic Engagement and Young People, have noted that local government is often seen as the most immediate and appropriate level for young people to become involved in community planning and be celebrated for their contributions. Activities at an LGA level are often more likely to relate directly to young people‟s lives and local communities, and can be more geographically accessible, especially for young people living in isolated areas.1
At the same time, however, relationships between local governments and young people can be variable and ambiguous. Nabben notes that there is no legislative requirement for councils to provide youth services, and they must often negotiate their youth work and activities with those supplied by a range of other bodies, including NGOs, state and federal governments, and private organisations.2 Meanwhile, a considerable body of literature exists charting a trend of young people‟s disengagement from political and government mechanisms, traceable back at least as far as the 1980s.3 In their work on young people and citizenship, Anita Harris, Johanna Wyn and Salem Younes cite evidence of high levels of youth disengagement from formal politics, including local government, a trend which has often been linked to the breakdown of traditional and structured pathways to adulthood and citizenship, and to a climate of globalisation, where politicians and public institutions are increasingly seen as having less power or relevance. Of course, such disengagement is not uniform, and young people have also developed other ways of engaging with and reshaping civic life, through new technologies, friendship networks and recreational and consumer choices.4 However, given the significant resources still controlled by councils, and the fact that young people continue to live in, shape and be shaped by their local communities, it would seem beneficial and necessary to consider how local governments could pursue a stronger approach to youth participation.
Why a rural focus?
The state of Victoria has 79 municipalities, and the Municipal Association of Victoria classifies 48 of these as rural or regional.5 The relationship between young people and local governments in rural shires seems a topic worthy of particular discussion, as rural young people are often seen as faring worse on average than their metropolitan peers across a range of wellbeing indicators. The 2008 State of Victoria’s Young People report, for example, noted that young people in rural Victoria tended to have less access to health and support services, and experienced greater fears about stigma and marginalisation associated with seeking support for personal difficulties. In many cases, they also had less access to public transport, which in turn could hinder them from taking part in community, social and sporting activities. In addition to this, the report indicated that living in small rural communities, which could be more homogenous or conservative in their social climate, exposed some young people to higher levels of marginalisation or exclusion.6 Similarly, in their 2006 report Who’s Carrying the Can? A report into youth services gaps in Victoria, the Victorian Council of Social Services and the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria noted that the geographical isolation of many rural communities could make it much harder for young 7 people to access varied forms of support, mentoring and social life.7 In rural communities where support services are not easily accessible, there can be a stronger expectation that local governments will get involved to help fill the gaps.
The involvement of rural local governments in youth issues also seems an important topic in light of concerns about the future viability of rural communities. The Victorian government‟s 2006 inquiry into the retention of young people in rural districts noted that the 18-35 age group demonstrated the most mobility around rural Victoria. The years following secondary school graduation have tended to see large numbers of young people leaving their home districts for Melbourne or the regional centres, usually for work or education, as well as the wish to experience different lifestyles. The report also noted that smaller, but noteworthy, numbers of young people were leaving because of experiences of social prejudice and exclusion, or a sense of boredom and discontent at home. The experience of leaving a rural community need not be seen as negative or undesirable in itself. However, the sense of exclusion or disengagement experienced by some rural young people is surely a topic for concern, and an aging demographic presents challenges for a number of shires. Meanwhile, the report also noted that those young people who opted to stay in their rural areas often did so because those communities already offered the opportunities they wanted for work, education and personal growth, as well as bonds with friends and family.8 Local governments cannot control all of these factors, of course, but it would seem important for them to explore ways to become more positively involved.
This piece considers young people‟s involvement in local government, with a participatory focus. As Nabben points out, young people, like all members of the community, participate in local government at very basic, fundamental levels: by living in the region, attending schools, using shops and support services, and moving through public spaces. They may also take part in volunteering, art, sport, employment and the media, which can have indirect impacts upon local government.9 However, here we will consider their participation in council in its clearer and more direct forms.
As John Ewen observes, the idea that young people can and should participate actively as citizens gathered momentum over the second half of the 20th century, as from the 1960s onwards larger generations of educated young people demanded to take a stronger part in their society. The economic downturn of the 1980s and 90s also led to fears of prolonged youth unemployment and a popular sense amongst older people of the need to keep young people engaged in education and training for longer.10 In recent years, as Holdsworth, Stokes, Blanchard and Mohamed have noted, a growing body of literature has demonstrated that young people‟s wellbeing improves if they are given power to make positive decisions about their own lives. There has also been as a rise in the sense that youth participation can be practically useful – leading to better decision-making and stronger relationships between younger and older people. In many cases, the push for youth participation has also stemmed from the belief that participation is simply a democratic righ, that underpins a peaceful, tolerant and productive community.11
More specifically, young people‟s involvement in governance, at various levels, has come to be seen as an important part of their development as citizens. Scholars such as Roger Holdsworth and David Owen have warned of the danger of reductionist models of citizenship which focus only on the rights and obligation to vote, serve on a jury and seek public office. They note that this can convey the message that citizenship is a passive and minimal experience, not immediately relevant to young people. Owen comments that this version of civics training “reduces young people to either non-citizens or, at best, apprentice-citizens.” These scholars have argued that it is active participation in the 8 systems around them which engages young people most strongly as citizens, more than any theoretical civics training. Young people, they argue, must be treated not merely as future citizens, but as current ones, and their roles in forming, maintaining and reshaping their communities deserve full consideration.12 While such discussions have most commonly related to schools, local government would seem to be another key area.
From a scope of the literature, Holdsworth et al have summed up the main ways that local councils tend to relate to young people. These include the provision of youth services, consultation with young people to improve council policy and practices, and engagement of young people in voting and lobbying. (In this last respect, they are treated much like the rest of the community, although the non-voting status of under 18s generally excludes them.) Another important approach is the development of inclusive communities, with young people as valued members. Across all of these areas, there is strong potential for local governments to adopt participatory approaches.13
However, participation is not always guaranteed. Nabben, for instance, notes a frequent tension in youth work between a tradition of welfare and crisis support, and a more preventative and developmental approach. This can leave local governments struggling to reconcile a popular image of “youth-as-problem” or “youth-as-victims” (in need of crisis response), and best practice frameworks which demand an approach of self-determination and civic engagement.14 In their discussion of youth participation in local government in Dunedin, Claire Freeman, Karen Nairn and Judith Sligo have also pointed out some common obstacles. These can include the hierarchical structure of government (which tends to position young people down the bottom), the timetables of local government (which may be dictated by financial, bureaucratic and election timeframes, and may not sit well with young people‟s schedules), and the fact that many workers within local government may have limited knowledge of the youth sector, young people or youth participation principles.15 Meanwhile, Holdsworth et al observe that young people‟s own circumstances can pose barriers to civic participation. Young people are more likely to lack skills, resources or knowledge of adult decision-making processes, and to be disadvantaged by income or transport shortcomings. They may also find themselves grappling with unhelpful attitudes within adult-run organisations, which may treat young people in a way that is mistrustful or tokenistic, or which expects them to be absolute experts on all youth issues.16
Meaningful participation by young people in council decision-making can be highly beneficial. It provides them with opportunities to develop their own skills and knowledge and test them in real life situations, become more aware of individual and community responsibilities, and strengthen their own stake in the community and their sense of connectedness. Ultimately, it also works to enhance the community as a whole, while, on a more pragmatic level, it can be a way of encouraging young people‟s ongoing involvement in council as volunteers or employees.17 A detailed recent guide produced by the City of Toronto, Involve Youth, argues that a participatory approach should encourage young people to reflect on the community outside of themselves and the responsibilities of citizenship, and to develop a stronger analysis of the world around them. When working towards this, support and training in the areas of skills-development, leadership, cultural awareness and teamwork, are vital. So, too, is strong support from local government as a whole.18
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“It gives me avenues not only to learn new skills but to show skills I already have, showing my worth, which is a major confidence booster and leads to other opportunities with other groups or potential employers”.
- Response from a young person taking part in a rural youth council, to the survey question “What do you like about being in the group / committee / program?”
Methodology
This piece is based on a scope of council plans, annual reports, youth strategies and other strategic documents for all the rural and regional local governments around Victoria, as well as relevant secondary literature. It also considers the results of a survey which the Youth Affairs Council sent out to youth development workers at all 48 rural LGAs, asking about the ways their councils engaged young people in decision making. This survey was addressed personally, and has received 25 responses to date. This is not a large enough sample to be truly representative, but it does provide a lot of quantitative data and is suggestive of certain trends. These youth development workers were encouraged to pass on a separate young people‟s survey to any young people who were engaged in youth bodies attached to their LGAs. Here, only a very small number of responses (12) have been received so far, but their replies were insightful and generous, and we have reproduced them at some length here. These surveys will be left open, and we intend to forward them on to metropolitan LGAs, using the results to inform YACVic‟s future development of resources to support youth participation in local councils.19 This report has also been informed by unofficial conversations with workers and young people engaged in different councils, whom the rural support and advocacy officer has spoken with during the course of her travels.
In this briefing, we have also chosen to include some lengthier examples of youth committees and councils attached to particular rural local governments. Here, the intent was not to single out any particular youth groups as unusually high achievers, or as facing unusual difficulties. Rather, these regions were selected at random from responses to our survey. By describing their work at greater length, we hope to give a more detailed illustration of how youth groups attached to council can operate, the obstacles they can face, and the lessons that can emerge.
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Wellington Shire
Who are the group, and what do they do? The Wellington Shire Youth Council is made up of 18 members between the ages 12-25, and was initiated after young people raised concerns about a lack of voice in their community. Members have a minimum two-year term, meetings are structured formally, and they elect a Youth Mayor as their chief spokesperson.
What has the group been doing lately? Youth Council members provide policy input at a number of levels. Their work is embedded in the general council plan, they contribute to a range of council strategies, and they sit on a variety of committees and action groups, as well as their local Regional Youth Affairs Network. They have advocated around specific issues including the design of the youth hub in Yarram and the difficulties of transport in the region (including providing input into the Bikes Futures conference and working to make local bike tracks safer and more accessible). Mental health and homelessness are also issues of ongoing concern, and Youth Council has drawn attention to the experiences of young people from smaller communities, who may lack access to services in their home towns but are at risk of dislocation if they move to seek support in regional centres. Youth councillors sit on the Community and Facilities Grant Prioritisation Panel; they have prepared submissions around tertiary and agricultural education; and the Youth Mayor supplies a forward to wider Council strategies.
What attracts young people to the group? A number of Youth Council members were drawn to the group because of their passion for particular community issues, or experiences of activism in the past. Membership has also offered them access to valuable training around issues such as governance, leadership, care for self and mental health. In 2012, youth councillors aged 18-25 will have the opportunity to receive formal qualification in General Administration in Local Government (Cert 3).
Best methods for encouraging young people to take part? Local word of mouth and a visible presence around the streets (in the Youth Council shirts!) has been important. The Youth Council have a spread in the local newspaper four times a year, and appear regularly on local ABC radio. School visits and letterbox drops have also been a good way to keep in touch with the community. Technology can be useful too, but internet and phone access in the region varies a lot, so Council does not wish to become too reliant on these, or to assume that all young people have access to them. In addition to this, a 1.5m photograph of the Youth team will now hang in the front entrance of the Council foyer, as a visible welcome and reminder of their work.
Challenges for recruitment? While many local schools have been very supportive, engaging with young people who are not in school has proven an ongoing challenge.
Advice or reflections...? If a local government wants to run a Youth Council in a formal and sustainable fashion, strong support is essential. This might include provision of admin assistance and office space, and access to transport and professional development. It can also be useful to ensure that the youth body has a formal standing within council and a place in all council’s planning. Once again, workers need the time and resources to support this.
When encouraging young people’s participation, it’s important to pay attention to supporting the younger members (this may include building positive relationships with their parents) and those who may have diverse needs. You don’t have to be over 18, or an academic high achiever, to become a strong council member! A friendly, welcoming atmosphere, where different age groups are supported to work positively together, can deliver great results.
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Where does responsibility for youth issues sit within rural LGAs?
The place of youth issues and participation varies considerably between different rural LGAs. While most rural councils (87%) include some provision for youth services and / or development, there is still a significant minority which have no designated youth section. Even having a “youth” section within council is no guarantee that substantial youth participation will occur. This is especially the case when council youth workers are part- time, or where they face challenges such as limited resources, wide geographical areas to cover, or lack of strong support from other areas of council.
How many rural Local Governments have a youth development, support or activities section?
Yes, council has a section engaged in youth issues (42)
No, council does not seem actively involved in youth issues (3) Council outsources its youth work to another organisation (3)
Within rural local governments, youth issues are generally the responsibility of areas of council which might be dubbed broadly “community services or wellbeing”. A minority of rural councils have placed youth affairs in other areas of government, notably recreation. The chart below provides a rough breakdown, but it should be noted that the titles and structures of local government departments vary considerably.
Which areas of Local Government are listed as responsible for youth development, support or activities?
Community services or wellbeing (40) Recreation, arts and culture (3) Executive services (1)
Unclear (4)
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A more precise list of local government departments with responsibility for youth affairs is as follows: 15 rural LGAs placed youth issues under community services, 8 placed it under community development, 3 under community wellbeing, 3 under community strengthening, 2 under economic and social development, 2 under recreation, arts and culture, 2 under community and cultural services, 2 under leisure and community services, 1 under people and communities, 1 under health and communities, 1 under executive services, 1 under community health and wellbeing, 1 under community and enterprise services, 1 under community sustainability, 1 under community planning, and 1 under community. Those councils where responsibility for youth issues was unclear (4 LGAs) tended to be those which did not seem actively engaged in youth affairs, or which outsourced their youth services to another agency.
A minority of local governments have nominated youth engagement as a responsibility for other areas of council besides the youth section. Baw Baw shire, for instance, committed in its youth strategy that councillors would visit secondary schools at least twice yearly and strive to build stronger relationships with them. Meanwhile, Wodonga‟s youth strategy commits to develop and deliver youth awareness training across council, to recruit and support particular council staff to act as youth advocates within their units, and to include “youth friendly” tools and methods in their Communication and Community Engagement strategies.20
“Encourage other departments in Council to work positively, and consider young people in their specific work areas.”
- LGA worker’s response to the question “What other strategies do you use to ensure that young people’s ideas and opinions are incorporated into the work of council?”
When attempting to gauge the percentage of rural local governments engaging young people in decision-making, it is difficult to arrive at an exact figure. Young people‟s participation takes an array of different forms, with varying outcomes. However, if we take a very broad definition of young people‟s participation on local government – to include hosting a youth group of any kind, or working towards a current youth strategy, or making significant mention of youth participation in their last annual report – the figure arrived at would seem to be approximately 38 out of 48 rural LGAs (79%). However, this is only a very broad estimate, and even within these LGAs, it is likely that significant room for development and improvement still exists.
What are the main ways that young people participate in the work of local governments?
When LGAs seek to involve young people in decision-making, this has tended to be in relation to youth-specific policies, events, programs and / or services. Less commonly, young people may be approached to take part in broader policy-making about issues which affect the whole community. On the whole, the participatory work of young people within rural councils seems to mirror the findings of Holdsworth et al in their work on eight local governments across Victoria. This report noted that councils seemed largely interested in the following forms of engagement: consulting young people to improve their own practices, developing young people‟s civic skills through participation in local organisations or council structures, and enhancing young people‟s roles as active community members through opportunities for to take part in specific local projects.21 13
For the most part, we might say that LGAs are attempting to engage young people in the community via council. However, some attempts are also made to engage young people specifically in council itself, often through volunteering or work experience. In their youth strategies, Ararat, Ballarat and Baw Baw shires undertook to provide more opportunities for work experience, apprenticeships and workplace training within council, as well as to recruit more young staff and promote council to young people as a place to work.22 The importance of work experience, placements and apprenticeships within council was also acknowledged in the youth strategies of Indigo, Glenelg and Loddon shires.23 In their most recent annual report, Wodonga made note of their council‟s recruitment of 70 young volunteers in the past year, while Ararat reported on the progress of their youth work experience program.24
In order to provide a broad snapshot, we have compared the most recent annual reports of all the rural LGAs, noting the forms of youth participation most commonly reported upon. While this is not a comprehensive approach, it does provide an overview. It also invites us to think further about how young people are prioritised in council reporting processes.
In their latest annual report (2009-10), how many rural LGAs... Made some mention of youth participation or engagement (36)
Mentioned youth services provided by council, but not youth participation (6)
Made no significant mention of Number of LGAs youth (5)
Report unavailable at present (1)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
In their most recent annual report, the majority of rural councils included some kind of reporting around young people‟s activities. However, young people‟s involvement in decision-making was not always emphasised. The most common areas of participation mentioned were young people‟s engagement in activities and events, some of which they were explicitly credited with organising. The other form of youth participation most commonly mentioned (although still only in a minority of cases) was the work of formal youth bodies attached to council.
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In their latest annual report (2009-10), how many rural LGAs commented on...
The work of the youth council or advisory body (13)
Events or activities run through council, which engaged young people (22) Events or activities which young people were credited with a significant role in running (6)
Council's support for youth awards or leadership programs (5)
Council consultations with young LGAs (note - some local people (3) governments wrote about youth in their Political / social campaigns that annual report in more young people were active in running than one way) (2) The progress of the youth plan, which emphasises youth participation (7) The progress of the youth plan, which mentions youth engagement / consultation (2)
The council employing young people in general jobs or as volunteers (2)
0 5 10 15 20 25
What mechanisms exist to support youth participation within rural LGAs?
Youth strategies
A significant minority of rural LGAs (22, or 46%) have produced and / or worked towards a formal youth strategy or plan during the last four years. These plans vary greatly in length, tone, details, scope, audience and intentions. However, most of them outlined future prospects for youth participation within their shires. Furthermore, the production of the plans themselves often provided opportunities for young people to get involved in consultation, planning and production.
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Several local governments took steps to empower young people directly in the planning, writing and evaluation of their youth plans. The City of Greater Geelong, for example, included young people on the committees which set the strategic direction for their youth plan, while Murrindindi shire, Wodonga and the City of Ballarat undertook to involve young people in the implementation, development and review of these plans.25 Wodonga involved a young person directly in the writing of their strategy (providing a leading “vision statement” about what the community could be like in 2030), while Hindmarsh shire‟s whole strategy was written by a young person. This shire also undertook to engage young people in the evaluation of the strategy and related working groups.26 Meanwhile, the Moyne Youth Council made a point of formally endorsing their shire‟s strategy and committing to a leading role in implementing it.27
How many rural LGAs have a formal youth strategy or plan, which is...
Current (11)
Now expired, but in use during the past 4 years (11) Adopted over 4 years ago (4)
Being drafted now (1)
Mentioned in council documents but not available online (2) No mention of a formal youth strategy or plan (19)
Interestingly, though, it still seems to have been relatively rare for local governments to involve young people extensively in the planning, writing and evaluating of council youth plans. Rather, most local governments with a youth strategy seemed to involve young people in it primarily through consultation, as we will discuss later. This should not be taken as a dismissal of the participatory side to these documents. However, it does invite us to ponder how young people might be supported to be involved in policy making at a more fundamental or executive level.
It should also be noted that few shires with a youth strategy showed a strong involvement of their local youth committees or action groups in setting out this document. Once again, this is not necessarily a criticism, but it does prompt us to think further about the relationships that exist between council youth groups, and youth policy development as a whole. How much ownership over youth issues do youth councils and the like actually have? And how much should they have? 16
In their youth strategies, local government often point towards the types of youth participation they intend to support in the future. Here, the most common form of participation which councils undertook to support was young people‟s involvement in a specific youth body attached to council. Just over half (13) of the current youth plans undertook to support this. The other form of participation commonly flagged was supporting young people to run events in the shire. These were often focused around recreation and culture – eg holding a film festival and a youth expo (Hindmarsh shire). However, they might also include running information forums for councillors or community members (Golden Plains shire), promoting the advocacy of local young people to state and national advocacy bodies and government consultations (Alpine shire), developing a Youth Community Development Bank to allocate grants for community activities (Murrindindi), and engaging young people to assess whether community venues and events were youth friendly (Indigo).28 Meanwhile, the City of Greater Geelong pointed to the importance of reviewing governance mechanisms to ensure that young people were involved in the policy-making and planning of the Youth Development Unit itself.29
A minority of strategies also identified particular groups of young people whom council should work especially hard to engage in a participatory way, either in the work of the Youth Council or in more general cultural and recreational activities. Ballarat, for example, noted the need to engage more with the 18-25 age group, and with young people from diverse cultural backgrounds.30
Council Plans
Wider council documents can also provide some structure and support for youth participation. To get a comparative scope of this, we have examined all the current rural council plans, which set the general strategic direction for local government over a four- year period. These provide opportunities for youth participation to be built into a long term approach for the whole of council. Here, we found that a significant minority of rural LGAs made no mention of active youth participation in their council plans – and sometimes no mention of young people at all. When young people‟s participation was mentioned, council plans were most likely to express support for maintaining or starting a youth committee, action group or advisory body. Also common were more general expressions of support for engaging young people in the community as a whole.
It should be noted that there is not always a clear correlation between the existence of a youth group attached to council, the existence of a youth strategy, or the existence of a process for reporting on youth participation in council documents. It does seem most common for councils to have all of the following – a youth group, a youth strategy, and a mention of youth participation in the council plan and last annual report (approximately 15 LGAs) – or else none of them (approximately 6 LGAs). Similarly, it seems most common for councils to have both a youth group and a youth strategy, or else to have neither of these things. However, methods for engaging with young people and recording this engagement are very mixed. For example, three rural LGAs have a youth group and a current youth strategy but made no mention of youth participation in their last annual report or in their current council plan. Meanwhile, another two rural LGAs discussed youth participation in their last annual report and current council plan but have no existing youth group or strategy. Youth work in rural LGAs remains very diverse, with considerable space for growth, especially in whole-of-council approaches.
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In their current Council Plan (2009-13), how many rural LGAs...
Made reference to supporting youth participation, in some form (29)
Stated their support for youth services and / or activities, but made no significant mention of participation (9)
Made no significant mention of young people (8) Number of LGAs Stated their support for a youth strategy which did not make strong mention of participation or engagement (1)
Council plan unavailable at present (1)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
In their current Council Plan (2009-13), how many rural LGAs stated that...
They supported the work of their youth council or advisory body (6)
They intended to start a youth council or advisory body (2)
They intended to develop a youth strategy (5)
They supported young people's active participation in running events or activities through council (2) Number of LGAs (note: some did more than one of these They supported, or intended to support, things) youth leadership in general (3)
They wished to engage young people actively in the community in general (6)
They planned to implement council's youth strategy, which had a strong participation element (7) They planned to implement council's youth strategy, which mentioned youth consultation / engagement (3)
0 2 4 6 8
18
Mount Alexander Shire
Who are the group, and what do they do?
The Mount Alexander Youth Action Group plans, coordinates and runs regular activities for young people in their shire, often on a fortnightly basis but especially during the school holidays. They plan for specific events, as well as conducting some research and community advocacy.
What has the group been doing lately?
Recently, the Youth Action Group has been researching how to run welcoming youth spaces within the shire, without setting aside a permanent venue. This enables events to be rotated around the outlying towns, instead of just focusing on Castlemaine. To plan for this, the Youth Action Group has been visiting other shires, to build relationships there and consider their methods. They have also been researching the best ways to combine these events with more relaxed, informal “chill-out” spaces for young people.
The group has also been busy preparing the YES – Youth Enter Safely – campaign, which works with businesses and cafes to encourage a youth-friendly atmosphere in the community. Here, the young group members have been building relationships with local businesses and preparing YES stickers for venues to display, to show that young people are welcome here!
What attracts young people to the group?
Especially appealing is the opportunity for young people to build their skills in events-management, planning and promotion, as well as being trained in how to run not-for-profit community bodies.
Best methods for encouraging young people to take part?
Facebook and local word of mouth have worked best. Other tools include flyers, press releases, school newsletters and school visits.
Challenges for recruitment?
While the group works with 12 – 25 year olds, it can be difficult to get strong involvement from over-18s, as many people in this age group leave the shire to pursue further education or work.
Advice or reflections...?
It is important for youth groups to have clear objectives, and to be supported to develop their vision and plans for the long term. There should also be opportunities provided for these young people to become linked in to the wider operations of council, to understand more closely how local government works, to raise their profile within the LGA, and to ensure that they feel valued and connected. This group are action-oriented; they enjoy the practical and skills-development side to their work, and do not wish to become an “advisory” body, or to be expected to speak for all young people in the shire. At the same time, there is so much potential to link the work of youth actions groups more closely to broader council strategies. Let’s think some more about how youth groups which have a planning or events focus can be recognised more strongly within local government, and given opportunities to network there, without losing their own unique aims and enthusiasm.
19
Consulting with young people
Consultations with young people featured prominently in council youth strategies, and in responses to our survey. Sixteen of the twenty-two youth plans in use over the past four years drew on extensive consultations with young people in the shire. Most shires which undertook such consultation did so through a variety of forms, including surveys, forums, interviews and consultative workshops. These invited young people to contribute their views about community, aspirations and areas of concern – eg bullying, recreation and self-esteem. Such consultations tended to focus on issues designated as especially relevant to youth, although many also pointed towards a general sense of what sort of community young people would like to live in. Many of these consultations took place within secondary schools, although a number of councils – eg Ararat, Loddon, Murrindindi and Mildura – also made a point of consulting (often in a more qualitative way) with young people at youth centres or events.31 A number of youth strategies also pledged to undertake further youth consultations in the future. Some specified that this would lead to the planning of youth forums or the formation of new youth committees.32
“Social Media – using polls on Facebook Consulting with local SRC group Surveys at Council-run events and activities.”
“Youth Week activities that allow Council to engage with local primary school students”
“Inviting young people along to planning and focus groups”
- LGA workers’ responses to the question “What other strategies do you use to ensure that young people’s ideas and opinions are incorporated into the work of council?”
These youth strategies provide a wealth of information about young people‟s responses to local “youth” issues. The scope of the work conducted was often very considerable – numbers of young people involved in consultations included, for example, 2250 young people in Wodonga, 1122 in Mildura, 440 in Glenelg shire and over 400 in Ararat. It is interesting to consider how such data might be drawn upon in wider policy work, outside of the shires in question. This might prove difficult in some ways, as the focus questions and methodologies varied considerably. However, given that the material is often so interesting and extensive, it seems worth pursuing how else it might be used.33
Many of the respondents to our local government survey also highlighted their consultation processes. We received 21 responses to the question “What other strategies [apart from youth councils or committees] do you use to ensure that young people‟s ideas and opinions are incorporated into the work of council?”, and many of these mentioned forums, surveys and workshops. Some consultations were focused on specific issues – eg, skate parks, the redesign of council‟s website, the planning of a new arts centre, or the formation of council policy around public safety. Others concentrated on getting young people‟s input into broader youth strategies or planning processes. Two respondents also mentioned they were planning regular youth forums and conferences, to convey young people‟s views to council and relevant agencies, and to help young people plan their own campaigns.
20
“We find that bringing young people in for short term consultation works better than trying to have them be the font of all knowledge for a full year on a number of topics.”
“It has been important for our Council to foster good relationships with our Local Schools to allow for easy access to students for consultation.”
- LGA workers’ responses to the question “What other strategies do you use to ensure that young people’s ideas and opinions are incorporated into the work of council?”
Consultation is only one form of “participation”, and it may not engage young people in the most active or ongoing ways. It does not necessarily include young people in decision- making, or enable them to set the questions and focus in the first place, or decide how the information they supply will be presented, evaluated and used. Freeman et al have also cautioned that extensive consultations can potentially feel like chore for local government workers, who may feel they are not receiving much information that they didn‟t already know.34 More seriously, a number of scholars, including Freeman and Melanie Bunce, have noted that youth consultation can even prove harmful, if it is conducted in a way that seems dull or pointless to young people, or which does not lead to clear results. Ironically, poor consultative processes can risk increasing young people‟s feelings of dissatisfaction, disempowerment and disengagement.35
However, if consultation is acknowledged to be a significant aspect of youth development work in local councils, it is worth considering how council workers might be supported to enhance its participatory aspects. Here, the broad principles nominated by Holdsworth, Freeman and Bunce seem relevant: that consultations should be done in a way that is respectful and fun, that young people be given a clear and realistic sense of the possible results of consultation, and that they be made aware of these results when they occur. It is also worth considering further how young people might be empowered to decide how they will provide advice to council in the first place, and how this advice will be used.36
Some local governments are already suggesting ways that these issues might be tackled. Hindmarsh shire, for example, noted that they used their consultative forum (which informed their youth strategy) to run fun activities including circus skills and music workshops, and to promote the support services available in the region. Meanwhile, Wangaratta noted that the consultative forum which informed their youth strategy was hosted by members of their youth council. The strategy then pledged to support their youth council members to undertake further consultations, through school visits and twice-yearly forums.37
“Every year we host a Youth Empowerment Conference where participants learn how to put their ideas into action and more actively participate in their community.”
- LGA worker’s response to the question “What other strategies do you use to ensure that young people’s ideas and opinions are incorporated into the work of council?”
Several councils have also undertaken to consult with young people around more general community issues, not simply in relation to “youth” affairs. Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura and Ballarat, for example, have made commitments to increase youth representation on general committees such as the Bendigo Safe Community Forum. Meanwhile, Mansfield 21 has undertaken to develop processes for involving young people in consideration of all council projects and planning, and Wodgonga have pledged to foster young people‟s presence on events steering committees throughout council, and to ensure that young people are represented on at least four council advisory groups.38
“...be sure of your demographic, never assume you know what young people want as this changes like the weather, be sure to constantly keep in contact with young people of a range of groups”.
“Listen to what youth really need, not what you think they want, and let them make it happen!”
- Young people’s responses to the survey question “If I was setting up a group or committee to support young people to create change in their community what advice would you give me?”
Youth councils, action groups and advisory committees
A majority of rural LGAs (65%) have at least one youth group attached to their council, or are planning to establish one. However, a considerable minority have none. Youth bodies attached to local governments tend to have at least some focus on the planning and organising of events, activities or entertainment. However, the majority also have at least some mandate to undertake policy development and / or strategic advice to council.
Based on public documents and material available online, how many LGAs have a youth body (excluding FReeZA) attached to them?
A youth body which does policy development, as well as social events (18) A youth body focused on providing policy advice to council (5) A youth body focused on running events, recreation and culture (7) No youth body yet, but council is currently recruiting one (1)
No mention of a youth body attached to council (16)
A youth body was operating, but recently disbanded (1)
22
Alpine Shire
Who are the group, and what do they do?
The Alpine Shire Youth Council is made up of 11 – 14 young people between the ages 14-18. They advocate and advise council around issues important to young people in their community, and organise youth events and activities in the shire. The Youth Council is run along formal lines, and the members elect a Youth Mayor and Deputy Mayor, to chair the sessions and liaise with the media.
What has the group been doing lately?
During Youth Week, the Youth Council held a climate change forum for young people, from which they developed a set of recommendations to council; in response, council is appointing a climate change officer. The Youth Council has also taken a lead in advocating around topics of importance to the local community in terms of planning, safety and environment. These have included debates around the establishment of a spring water bottling company in the shire and a gondola ride up Mt Buffalo. In their advocacy, they have not only addressed the key issues; they have also raised attention to the importance of youth-friendly consultation. Consultation processes which occur during school hours or which make no effort to inform and engage young people may not deliver the best results!
The Youth Council are also preparing for their annual awards ceremony, an event which recognises the leadership and achievements of young people in the shire, and which has enjoyed strong community support. More broadly, the Youth Council have been successful in promoting the positive role of young people in the shire, including through successful “branding” of their work and through a regular column in the local paper.
What attracts young people to the group?
Many young people are keen for the opportunity to develop their skills in leadership, events planning and the formal process of meetings. A number of them have previous experience with volunteering and events teams around the shire.
Best methods for encouraging young people to take part?
Facebook has been crucial, as well as the support of local secondary schools and community youth workers.
Challenges for recruitment?
This group has tended to work with young people under 18; older ones are more difficult to recruit, as they tend to go into full time work or leave the shire for higher education.
Advice or reflections...?
Youth Council members are volunteers, so the time they spend with the group should be positive and productive. In particular, those who have been with the group several years have a lot of experience to share – they need support and opportunities to pass this on to new members, for example at annual induction camps.
It is also crucial to be clear about the aims of the Youth Council – having a formal charter, code of conduct and annual plan can be very useful. It can also be more helpful to have close, positive relationships with a smaller number of youth councillors than distant or fluctuating relationships with a larger number.
Youth development work can benefit the whole council; as such, it is valuable for a number of key officers to be trained in working effectively with young people – it is not enough to expect youth development workers (who are often part-time) to be the only ones with expertise in the area. Youth Council members have so much to contribute – it’s important that local governments take full advantage of this! 23
The majority of youth development workers who responded to our survey were based in LGAs where a youth group was in operation. When asked why the group had been set up in the first place, the replies varied. The most common ones (unsurprisingly) referred to the need to give young people a voice within council and the community, and to plan for activities and events for young people. Four respondents remarked that their youth committees were set up in response to a youth strategy or policy within council which had pointed to the need for more youth participation. Another two mentioned that the youth body had been formed following consultations with young people who wanted more representation.
Involvement in a youth body attached to council can provide a number of benefits, both to young people and to the LGA itself, enabling young people to develop their skills in critical thinking, networking, problem solving and formal meeting procedures, and injecting their ideas, skills and passion into the wider work of council. One LGA worker who responded to our survey remarked, for example: “the young people involved gain confidence as they move through their years in Youth Council, from being helpers at events and consultations, to choosing their own projects and taking the lead”. Another commented: “The young people involved are more likely to volunteer in community groups if they have been members of a youth council, [and] young people take more ownership of resources provided for them if they have had input into gaining them – can reduce the incidence of disengaged behaviour.”
When replying to our survey, fifteen respondents from local government replied to the question “What are the most successful elements of the group / committee?” They could provide as many answers as seemed relevant, and given the small size of the sample, it would be unwise to read too much into this. However, their replies do suggest the range of benefits such groups can deliver. The social and skills-building benefits of such programs were highlighted, and some additional remarks were suggestive of how youth councils could help to build a more positive profile for young people in rural communities. In their additional remarks, one respondent noted that an awards ceremony set up by their youth committee had been a great opportunity to recognise young people‟s contributions to the community, while another remarked of their youth committee: “It provides good news stories for Council”.
24
"What are the most successful elements of the group / committee?"
It has improved perceptions of young people within the community (9) Other young people in the community benefit from the work that the group / committee do (14) Council has become more responsive to the needs of young people (8)
Council has become more aware of the needs of young people (12) Number of responses (workers could select more than one reply) Young people have an opportunity to contribute to their communities (15)
Young people learn new skills through their involvement (13)
It provides a social outlet for young people (9)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Interestingly, while the existence of a youth body was often agreed to provide council with greater awareness of youth issues, not all respondents saw this translating into more responsive policy making. Similarly, of the 16 responses we received to the question “Which of these best describes the way the youth body works with Council?”, the majority (12) selected “The youth body works mainly on its own projects, separate from the rest of Council”. This need not be a problem, but does point to the dangers of treating a youth council or action group as the sole answer to “youth participation” within local government.
The benefits of taking part in youth councils or committees also arose from responses to our survey distributed to young people who were taking part in such groups. While the pool of replies (12) is too small to be representative, it is suggestive of the layers of reasons why young people engage with such groups. The National Volunteer Skills Centre‟s guide to young people and volunteering notes the major reasons for young people to volunteer (according to ABS data) are: for personal satisfaction (40%), to help others (40%) and to do something worthwhile (21%). They add that two motivations more often shared by young people are “to gain work experience” (17%) and “to learn new skills” (13%). They note, too, that young people volunteer in order to have fun, meet new people, support causes they care about, and experience new challenges.39 All of these factors seem to be reflected in the responses below.
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What do you like about being in the group / committee / program?
I can take action on the things I am passionate about
Has led to other opportunities
Doing things to help other young people
My confidence has increased since joining the group
I have learned new skills Number of young people who responded (they could choose multiple responses) It gives me something to do
Meeting people and / or making friends
Getting together as a group is really fun
Making positive change in the community
0 2 4 6 8 10
Benefits and pitfalls
Youth councils, advisory committees and action groups can be valuable, ongoing mechanisms, enabling young people to build skills and friendships, assist others, take action on issues that they are passionate about, and provide input to local government. However, there are a number of potential problems with giving too much prominence to these council-based youth groups. Freeman et al have noted that merely having a youth group attached to local government does not guarantee a representative or participatory practice in general. Youth councils may have no formal standing within councils, and they may end up being quite strongly shaped by older adults. Even efforts to ensure “diversity” in groups may be guided by older workers‟ decisions about what constitutes a diverse group of young people.40 Meanwhile, Roger Hart has warned that youth councils may only attract high achievers from within the school system, and may also become too limited by a focus on specific “youth” issues.41
Meanwhile, Holdsworth et al have observed that the literature around youth participation tends to caution against vesting sole responsibility for civic participation in youth councils and the like. In particular, they note that such groups have traditionally struggled to engage Indigenous and multicultural youth, young people who are homeless or living on low incomes, or international students.42 Rural councils may well experience problems engaging the above-mentioned groups (apart, presumably, from international students, who are less likely to be living there). However, it is worth noting that they also face the complicating factor of young people‟s numbers dropping off dramatically after the age of eighteen, as many leave town for cities or regional centres, or else become involved in full- time local employment and may lack either the time or the interest for “youth” activities. 26
In response to our survey question “What are the main challenges in maintaining the group / committee?”, only fourteen workers responded, so we would not wish to apply this too much further. However, it was worth noting that the three most common responses were: “Attracting a diverse range of young people” (11), “finding young people who are interested in being involved” (8), and “the group needs more opportunities for meaningful input into council decision-making” (8). This suggests again the need to ensure full-council support for, and engagement with, youth groups, and the need for youth groups to be supported to forge stronger relationships with other sections of the community. However, these problems also point towards the risks of focusing “youth participation” too much on committees or action groups, which are often fairly formal and long-term in their operations, and which may not be an attractive or viable option for all young people.
“Have a diverse range of people. Not only does it help bring different groups together (whether that be cultural, religious, age, ethnicity) but it also captures the view of the different people in a certain community and what they want.”
“I think it would be good to have younger people involved in the group or committee as they would help with ideas and decisions and give an insight on what other young people want [to] talk about”.
“I would say that you needed to get a range of people from all different walks and bring them together with a common goal. Make sure that what you are doing is not wasting time as a lot of young people don’t have it”.
- Responses by young people in youth groups attached to rural councils, to the question “If I was setting up a group or committee to support young people to create change in their community, what advice would you give me?”
Two responses to our survey pointed to some particular challenges for engaging young people in groups attached to rural councils. One commented “Being a rural council it is a constant battle to provide transport to young people who would otherwise not be able to attend meetings. Transport takes up a lot of time and resources, which is particularly difficult when a car is needed for after hours work and there is no car allocated to the youth department.”
Meanwhile, another explained the absence of a youth group in their local council by stating: “The [youth group] recognised it was ineffective, and not the way that the majority of young people were interested in engaging. It was also struggling with transport and geography issues. A large amount of resources were going to support the same six young people – and they recognised that the outcomes they were achieving made little difference in the long term. They [the youth group] developed the model we are currently transitioning to and disbanded. Feedback from the young people who had been involved in the [youth group] is that the new system is yielding much better results for young people, and engaging a much broader range of young people than before. We still have a way to go.”
Especially noteworthy about this response – and perhaps applicable more broadly – is the involvement of the members of the youth body themselves in arranging the winding up of the group and planning and evaluating the transition to a new system. Such a process suggests the importance of follow-through with young people involved in council, to ensure 27 their ongoing engagement and ownership of their work, and to recognise the value of their contribution to different systems.
The creation and maintenance of a youth council, advisory body or action group can be a very positive thing. However, it is doubtful whether it should be treated as the chief (or even the first) step towards youth participation in the LGA. Wider, more complex processes for supporting participation will also need to be encouraged and supported, and youth councils themselves will also need assistance to expand, evaluate and develop their own work.43 A number of rural councils are taking steps in this direction. In their youth strategy, Moyne local council, for example, commits to supporting their youth council to become involved in formal decision making processes, including full council meetings, and aiming to see youth councillors becoming increasingly active in contributing to these wider meetings.44 Meanwhile, One respondent to our survey noted the importance of their youth committee having opportunities to attend wider Council meetings and develop relationships with older councillors. Another highlighted that their youth group participants had opportunities to nominate the training areas that were most interesting to them, and to learn more about general council processes.
Holdsworth et al have commented that where youth bodies attached to council were working well, this tended to be where they enjoyed strong support from elected members of Council, substantial pro-active resourcing, and a strong sense by young people that they were achieving something appropriate and relevant. They have suggested that youth councils benefit from strong support from the mayor and a small group of interested and supportive councillors, and wider knowledge and support from other staff members. Successful youth councils were also likely to be those that reflected the real diversity of the community and which made strong efforts to sustain a diverse membership. Youth council members needed adequate access to training, mentoring and opportunities for networking and information sharing at state and regional levels. Moreover, even the successful youth councils were still operating in collaboration with other forms of youth participation and other networks supporting young people and the wider youth sector.45
“When I first began working with the group I was concerned that it was very tokenistic and we have been working hard over the last couple of years to change this, and increase awareness of [the youth committee] in the broader Council.”
- Response from worker at a rural LGA to the survey question “Why was the group / committee established?”
When supporting local government youth groups, it can also be valuable to look at the work of youth councils in other regions. In their work on youth participation in Tasmanian shire councils, Ged Dibley and Michael Gordon note the importance of making youth group meetings fun, and including meals and opportunities to celebrate milestones, achievements and positive progress. They also point to the value of raising the group‟s profile and morale through positive branding and publicity, and the importance of involvement by older councillors and networking with other organisations. In addition to this, they commented that rural shire youth groups could benefit from running structured group activities out of the district, to combat young people‟s sense of isolation.46
International scholarship provides some further useful models. In their study of New Zealand youth councils, Finlay et al chart the methods used by the Auckland youth council to ensure greater diversity in their members. These included nominating members from 28 different schools and communities, to be chosen by a panel with a brief to balance representation of ethnicity, socio-economic background, achievement, schools, communities and geographical areas. These authors also noted how the youth council benefited from taking ownership of their own meeting space (decorating it with young people‟s art), and from increasing their profile and credibility through holding regular public meetings and maintaining strong relationships with other representatives from city council.47 Meanwhile, Hart and Schwab have noted the existence of a national association for children‟s and youth councils in France, and the opportunities for networking and policy development this has provided.48 Also significant is the work of Shanetta Martin, Karen Pittman, Thaddeus Ferber and Ada McMahon on youth councils in Washington DC. They advised creating opportunities for council members to testify at public inquiries into general issues, commissioning youth council members to produce the youth parts of council plans, and developing a strong communications plan to increase the youth council‟s profile.49
“Give the young people maximum input possible, keep the size around 12 – 24 people, and open it up to everyone.”
“I would suggest that you make it an almost exclusively youth-run group. Of course adult supervision and assistance will be necessary, but when it comes to running meetings, organising
events, and deciding what they wish to work on [it] should be up to group members.”
“Have fun. As long as you’re passionate about what you’re doing and can let everyone have a fair go, you will have fun and remain motivated. And get good results!”
- Responses by young people in youth groups attached to rural LGAs, to the question “If I was setting up a group or committee to support young people to create change in their community, what advice would you give me?”
FReeZA
An additional point might also be made in relation to FReeZA groups. FReeZA – a youth development program, first launched in 1996 – supports young people to stage drug- and alcohol-free events for other young people, including live music, dance parties and other cultural and recreational activities, and creates opportunities for young people to develop creative and management skills and to showcase their work, as well as to take part in fun events.50 As FReeZA is a state-wide and state-funded program, I have not included it here in this study of LGAs. However, it should be noted that, in fact, FReeZA is probably the most common way that rural young people engage with their local governments. 37 rural LGAs (77%) have a FReeZA committee attached to them.51
Furthermore, of the rural local government which have some kind of youth council, reference group or action group attached to them, the vast majority (all but two) also have a local FReeZA group. It is problematic to assume any neat causal connection here, but it might be worth investigating further whether FReeZA might be playing a wider role in rural LGAs, in terms of introducing young people to working with local government, and introducing local governments to working with young people.
“FReeZA committees across the Shire … not only organise youth events – they have input into discussions on a range of topics when required.”
- LGA workers’ responses to the question “What other strategies do you use to ensure that young people’s ideas and opinions are incorporated into the work of council?”
29
Youth participation in local government – thoughts for the future
When considering the future of young people‟s involvement in rural LGAs, a number of areas seem to invite further discussion. These include the following:
Most young people take part in councils on a voluntary basis. Hence, it is valuable to consider the growing body of work around youth volunteering, for support and advice. The National Volunteer Skills Centre, for example, note that young volunteers are especially likely to be looking for opportunities that are flexible and can be done off-site, online or in the short term. They may also be attracted to projects that will strengthen their resumes and give them exposure to wider networks and opportunities. The Centre advises marketing general volunteering positions with young people in mind, involving current youth volunteers in the promotion, marketing and design of volunteer positions, and creating roles with shorter commitment periods. 52
Support from the wider council for youth participation would also seem to be vital. In their detailed guide to youth participation in local government, the City of Toronto highlights the need for strong adult advocates and allies, for anti-ageism training for workers throughout the organisation, for young people to be included in hiring processes, and for young people to have sufficient opportunities to raise concerns about the organisation, without fear of reprisal, and with a clear commitment by the organisation to listen and respond. Their work also urges that the time, conditions, career paths and status of youth workers be improved, with enough training and development provided.53
When recruiting young people for involvement in council, it is helpful to consider the innovative approaches taken by different local governments, including those outside of Australia. Here, the work done by the City of Toronto might prove relevant again. They have highlighted examples of non-traditional recruitment, where workers decided to make the recruitment process itself more interactive and fun. To this end, they invited applicants to take part in a lengthy workshop on story-telling through film, run by a film-maker. Here, the young participants had the opportunity to learn skills, create a presentation, and analyse the youth project they were thinking of taking part in. This format allowed them to learn and demonstrate skills in a relaxed, enjoyable setting, produce things, and decide whether the larger project was really for them. Meanwhile, the selectors could also see how the different applicants worked together as a group, gauge a wider range of youth perspectives, and possibly recruit the young people who were not chosen, to take part in other projects.54
Finally, it is important to consider how to guarantee continuity of participation, and continuity of support, to enable older young people who have been involved in council to pass on their experience to their successors, and to take up (if they wish) opportunities to become the next generation of mentors and workers.55 Here, resources must keep in mind both the challenges, and the demands, of retaining young people in rural communities.
“Have a definite and clear intention –
Make sure all members are 100% committed – Be fair and allow all members to have input – Acknowledge the youth members and praise them for their community service”.
- Response of young person involved in a youth group attached to a rural LGA, to the survey question “If I was setting up a group or committee to support young people to create change in their community, - what advice would you give me?”
30
References
Analytical sources
Melanie Bunce, „Tea, Respect and Valuing Young People”, Childrenz Issues, vol.6, no.1, 2002, pp.3-4
City of Toronto, Involve Youth 2: A Guide to Meaningful Youth Engagement, Toronto, 2006
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, State of Victoria’s Young People: A report on how Victorian young people aged 12-24 are faring, Melbourne, Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2008
Ged Dibley and Michael Gordon, Talking participation, taking action: a local government guide to youth participation, Hobart, Tasmanian Office of Children and Young People, 2006
John Ewen, “Youth participation: Concepts & Structures”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.13, no.3, Spring 1994, [whole piece online – pg numbers not given]
Claire Freeman, Karen Nairn and Judith Sligo, “ „Professionalising‟ Participation: From Rhetoric to Practice”, Children’s Geographies, vol.1, no.1, 2003, pp. 53-70
Anita Harris, Johanna Wyn and Salem Younes, “Young people and citizenship: an everyday perspective”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.26, no.3, 2007, pp.19-27
Roger Hart and Michael Schwab, “Children‟s Rights and the Building of Democracy: A Dialogue on the International Movement for Children‟s Participation”, Social Justice, vo.4, no.3, Fall 1997, pp.177-91
Roger Holdsworth, Helen Stokes, Michelle Blanchard and Nadia Mohamed, Civic Engagement and Young People: A Report Commissioned by the City of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australian Youth Research Centre, November 2007
Roger Holdsworth, Servants or Shapers? Young People, Volunteering and Community, Melbourne, Australian Youth Research Centre, 2007
Shanetta Martin, Karen Pittman, Thaddeus Ferber and Ada McMahon, Building effective youth councils: A practical guide to engaging youth in policy making, Washington DC, The Forum for Youth Involvement, 2007
Municipal Association of Victoria, “Fact Sheet: Victorian Local Government Snapshot”, http://www.mav.asn.au/CA256C320013CB4B/Lookup/FS-SnapshotofLG2011/$file/FS- SnapshotofLG2011.pdf
Rob Nabben, “The Victorian local government youth charter: Opportunities and dilemmas”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.26, no.2, 2006, pp.27-34
National Volunteer Skills Centre, Youth People and Volunteering – Take a Closer Look, Melbourne, Volunteering Australia, 2007
31
David Owen, „Dilemmas and opportunities for the young active citizen‟, Youth Studies Australia, vol.15, no.1, March 1996, pp.20-23
Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee, Inquiry into Retaining Young People in Rural Towns and Communities, Melbourne, State Government of Victoria, 2006
Victorian Council of Social Services and Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, Who’s Carrying the Can? A report into youth services gaps in Victoria, Melbourne, VCOSS, 2006
Council documents
Alpine Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Bright, 2010
Alpine Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Bright, 2009
Alpine Shire Youth Council, 2009/2010 Youth Council Action Plan, Bright, 2009
Ararat Rural City, Annual Report 2009-2010, Ararat, 2010
Ararat Rural City, Council Plan 2009-2013, Ararat, 2009
Ararat Rural City, Youth Action Plan, Ararat, 2008
Bass Coast Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Wonthaggi, 2010
Bass Coast Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Wonthaggi, 2009
Baw Baw Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Warragul, 2010
Baw Baw Shire Council, Council Plan 2011-2015, Warragul, 2009
Baw Baw Shire Council, Youth Charter, Warragul, 2008
Benalla Rural City, Annual Report 2009-2010, Benalla, 2010
Benalla Rural City, Council Plan 2009-2013, Benalla, 2009
Borough of Queenscliff, Annual Report 2009-2010, Queenscliff, 2010
Borough of Queenscliff, Council Plan 2009-2013, Queenscliff, 2009
Buloke Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Buloke shire, 2010
Buloke Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Buloke shire, 2009
Campaspe Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Echuca, 2010
Campaspe Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Echuca, 2009
Central Goldfields Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Maryborough, 2010
Central Goldfields Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Maryborough, 2009 32
City of Ballarat, Annual Report 2009-2010, Ballarat, 2010
City of Ballarat, Council Plan 2009-2013, Ballarat, 2009
City of Ballarat, Our Youth Strategy 2009-2014, Ballarat, 2009
City of Greater Bendigo, Annual Report 2009-2010, Bendigo, 2010
City of Greater Bendigo, Council Plan 2009-2013, Bendigo, 2009
City of Greater Bendigo, Youth Development Strategy and Review, Bendigo, 2008
City of Greater Geelong, Annual Report 2009-2010, Geelong, 2010
City of Greater Geelong, Council Plan 2009-2013, Geelong, 2009
City of Greater Geelong, Youth Strategy 2007-2011, Geelong, 2007
City of Wodonga, Annual Report 2009-2010, Wodonga, 2010
City of Wodonga, Council Plan 2009-2013, Wodonga, 2009
City of Wodonga, Youth Strategy 2010-2014, Wodonga, 2010
Colac Otway Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Colac, 2010
Colac Otway Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Colac, 2009
Corangamite Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Camperdown, 2010
Corangamite Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Camperdown, 2009
East Gippsland Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Bairnsdale, 2010
East Gippsland Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Bairnsdale, 2009
East Gippsland Shire Council, East Gippsland Regional Youth Strategy 2008-2010, Bairnsdale, 2008
Gannawarra Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Kerang, 2010
Gannawarra Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Kerang, 2009
Glenelg Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Portland, 2010
Glenelg Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Portland, 2009
Glenelg Shire Council, Youth Issues Paper 2009, Portland, 2009
Glenelg Shire Council, Youth Policy Framework, Portland, 2009
33
Golden Plains Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Bannockburn, 2010
Golden Plains Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Bannockburn, 2009
Golden Plains Shire Council, Youth Development Strategy and Action Plan 2009, Bannockburn, 2009
Greater Shepparton City Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Shepparton, 2010
Greater Shepparton City Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Shepparton, 2009
Hepburn Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Daylesford, 2010
Hepburn Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Daylesford, 2009
Hepburn Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council Youth Policy, Daylesford, 2008
Hindmarsh Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Nhill, 2009
Hindmarsh Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Nhill, 2009
Hindmarsh Shire Council, Y-Z 2009-2012, Nhill, 2009
Indigo Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Beechworth, 2010
Indigo Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Beechworth, 2009
Indigo Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2010-2013, Beechworth, 2010
Latrobe Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Morwell, 2010
Latrobe Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Morwell, 2009
Loddon Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Loddon Shire, 2010
Loddon Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Loddon shire, 2009
Loddon Shire Council, Youth Strategy, Loddon shire, 2008
Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Kyneton, 2010
Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Kyneton, 2009
Mansfield Shire, Annual Report 2009-2010, Mansfield, 2010
Mansfield Shire, Council Plan 2009-2013, Mansfield Sire, 2009
Mansfield Shire, Youth Charter, Mansfield, 2008
Mildura Rural City Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Mildura, 2010
Mildura Rural City Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Mildura, 2009 34
Mildura Rural City Council, Youth Agenda 2008-2012, Mildura, 2008
Mitchell Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Broadford, 2010
Mitchell Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Broadford, 2009
Mitchell Shire Council, Mitchell Youth Engagement Strategy 2010-2012, Broadford, 2010
Moira Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Cobram, 2010
Moira Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Cobram, 2009
Moorabool Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Bacchus Marsh, 2010
Moorabool Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Bacchus Marsh, 2009
Mount Alexander Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Castlemaine, 2010
Mount Alexander Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Castlemaine, 2009
Moyne Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Port Fairy, 2010
Moyne Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Port Fairy, 2009
Moyne Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2007-2010, Port Fairy, 2007
Murrindindi Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Alexandra, 2010
Murrindindi Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Alexandra, 2009
Murrindindi Shire Council, Recognition and Respect: A strategy for working with young people 2006-2010, Caniambo, 2006
Northern Grampians Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Stawell, 2010
Northern Grampians Shire Council, Council Plan 2010-2014, Stawell, 2009
Pyrenees Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Beufort, 2010
Pyrenees Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Beufort, 2009
Rural City of Wangaratta, Annual Report 2009-2010, Wangaratta, 2010
Rural City of Wangaratta, Council Plan 2009-2013, Wangaratta, 2009
Rural City of Wangaratta, Youth Strategy, Wangaratta, 2010
South Gippsland Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Leongatha, 2010
South Gippsland Shire Council, Council Plan 2010-2014, Leongatha, 2010
35
South Gippsland Shire Council, Youth Policy, Leongatha, 2006
Southern Grampians Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Hamilton, 2010
Southern Grampians Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Hamilton, 2009
Strathbogie Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Euroa, 2010
Strathbogie Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Euroa, 2009
Surf Coast Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Torquay, 2010
Surf Coast Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Torquay, 2009
Swan Hill Rural City Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Swan Hill, 2010
Swan Hill Rural City Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Swan Hill, 2009
Swan Hill Rural City Council, Youth Strategy 2009-2013, Swan Hill, 2009
Towong Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Tallangatta, 2010
Towong Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Tallangatta, 2009
Warrnambool Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Warrnambool, 2010
Warrnambool Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Warrnambool, 2009
Wellington Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Sale, 2010
Wellington Shire Council, Council Plan 2011-2015, Sale, 2011
West Wimmera Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Edenhope, 2010
West Wimmera Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2019, Edenhop, 2009
Yarriambiack Shire Council, Annual Report 2009-2010, Warracknabeal, 2010
Yarriambiack Shire Council, Council Plan 2009-2013, Warracknabeal, 2009
1 Roger Holdsworth, Helen Stokes, Michelle Blanchard and Nadia Mohamed, Civic Engagement and Young People: A Report Commissioned by the City of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australian Youth Research Centre, November 2007, p.26; Rob Nabben, “The Victorian local government youth charter: Opportunities and dilemmas”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.26, no.2, 2006, pp.27, 29 2 Nabben, “The Victorian local government youth charter”, pp.27, 29 3 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, pp.17-18 36
4 Anita Harris, Johanna Wyn and Salem Younes, “Young people and citizenship: an everyday perspective”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.26, no.3, 2007, pp.19-25 5 Municipal Association of Victoria, “Fact Sheet: Victorian Local Government Snapshot”, http://www.mav.asn.au/CA256C320013CB4B/Lookup/FS-SnapshotofLG2011/$file/FS- SnapshotofLG2011.pdf 6 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, State of Victoria’s Young People: A report on how Victorian young people aged 12-24 are faring, Melbourne, Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2008, pp.12, 70, 153, 173 7 Victorian Council of Social Services and Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, Who’s Carrying the Can? A report into youth services gaps in Victoria, Melbourne, VCOSS, 2006, p.19 8 Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee, Inquiry into Retaining Young People in Rural Towns and Communities, Melbourne, State Government of Victoria, 2006, pp. 13-14, 39, 45-48, 52-53 9 Nabben, “The Victorian local government youth charter”, p.30 10 John Ewen, “Youth participation: Concepts & Structures”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.13, no.3, Spring 1994, [whole piece online – pg numbers not given] 11 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, pp.12-13 12 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, pp.19, 22; Roger Holdsworth, Servants or Shapers? Young People, Volunteering and Community, Melbourne, Australian Youth Research Centre, 2007, pp.7-10; David Owen, „Dilemmas and opportunities for the young active citizen‟, Youth Studies Australia, vol.15, no.1, March 1996, pp.21-22 13 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, p.26 14 Nabben, “The Victorian local government youth charter”, p.29 15 Claire Freeman, Karen Nairn and Judith Sligo, “ „Professionalising‟ Participation: From Rhetoric to Practice”, Children’s Geographies, vol.1, no.1, 2003, pp.55-56 16 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, p.23 17 Holdsworth, Servants or Shapers? p.11 18 City of Toronto, Involve Youth 2: A Guide to Meaningful Youth Engagement, Toronto, 2006, p.2 19 Note: recipients of the survey were informed of the dual ways their replies would be used. When reproducing some of their responses, I have tried to do so in full wherever possible. For the sake of clarity, some minor changes to spelling and grammar have been made. 20 City of Wodonga, Youth Strategy 2010-2014, City of Wodonga, 2010, p.31 21 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, p.6 22 Ararat Rural City, Youth Action Plan, Ararat, 2008, p.11; City of Ballarat, Our Youth Strategy 2009-2014, Ballarat, 2009, p.25; Baw Baw Shire, Youth Charter, Warragul, 2008, p.11 23 Indigo Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2010-2013, Indigo Shire, 2010, p.28; Glenelg Shire Council, Youth Policy Framework, Glenelg shire, 2009, p.13; Loddon Shire Council, Youth Strategy, Loddon shire, 2008, p.25 24 Ararat Rural City, Annual Report 2009-2010, Ararat, 2010, p.26; City of Wodonga, Annual Report 2009- 2010, Wodonga, 2010, p.35 25 City of Greater Geelong, Youth Strategy 2007-2011, Geelong, 2007, p.21; Murrindindi Shire Council, Recognition and Respect: A strategy for working with young people 2006-2010, Caniambo, 2006, p.27; City of Wodonga, Youth Strategy 2010-2014, City of Wodonga, 2010, pp.4, 5, 10; City of Ballarat, Our Youth Strategy 2009-2014, Ballarat, 2009, p.19 26 City of Wodonga, Youth Strategy 2010-2014, City of Wodonga, 2010, pp.4, 5, 10; Hindmarsh Shire Council, Y-Z 2009-2012, Hindmarsh Shire, 2009, pp.2, 4 27 Moyne Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2007-2010, Moyne shire, 2007, p.2 28 Golden Plains Shire Council, Youth Development Strategy and Action Plan 2009, Golden Plains shire, 2009, p.17; Alpine Shire Youth Council, 2009/2010 Youth Council Action Plan, Alpine Shire, 2009, p.10; Indigo Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2010-2013, Indigo Shire, 2010, pp.27-28; Murrindindi Shire Council, Recognition and Respect: A strategy for working with young people 2006-2010, Caniambo, 2006, p.29; Hindmarsh Shire Council, Y-Z 2009-2012, Hindmarsh Shire, 2009, p.20 29 City of Greater Geelong, Youth Strategy 2007-2011, Geelong, 2007, pp.31,32, 37-38 30 City of Ballarat, Our Youth Strategy 2009-2014, Ballarat, 2009, p.18 31 For example, Ararat Rural City, Youth Action Plan, Ararat, 2008, p.19 ; Loddon Shire Council, Youth Strategy, Loddon shire, 2008, pp.29, 33, 45; Mildura Rural City Council, Youth Agenda 2008-2012, Mildura, 2008, pp.4, 7; Murrindindi Shire Council, Recognition and Respect: A strategy for working with young people 2006-2010, Caniambo, 2006, pp.15, 55 32 Baw Baw Shire, Youth Charter, Warragul, 2008, p.9; East Gippsland Shire Council, East Gippsland Regional Youth Strategy 2008-2010, East Gippsland, 2008, pp.7-8; Hindmarsh, p.12; Mansfield p.5; South Gippsland p.1; Indigo p.28; Glenelg, Youth Strategy Action Plan p.16 37
33 Alpine Shire Youth Council, 2009/2010 Youth Council Action Plan, Alpine Shire, 2009, p.6; Ararat Rural City, Youth Action Plan, Ararat, 2008, p.5; City of Ballarat, Our Youth Strategy 2009-2014, Ballarat, 2009, p.30; Baw Baw Shire, Youth Charter, Warragul, 2008, p.3; Gannawarra pp.21, 24; Golden Plains Shire Council, Youth Development Strategy and Action Plan 2009, Golden Plains shire, 2009, pp.9-11; Hindmarsh Shire Council, Y-Z 2009-2012, Hindmarsh Shire, 2009, p.12; Loddon Shire Council, Youth Strategy, Loddon shire, 2008, pp.29, 33, 45; Indigo Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2010-2013, Indigo Shire, 2010, p.5; Glenelg Shire Council, Youth Issues Paper 2009, Glenelg shire, 2009, p.20; Mildura Rural City Council, Youth Agenda 2008-2012, Mildura, 2008, pp.4, 7; Moyne Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2007-2010, Moyne shire, 2007, appendix pp.2, 4; City of Wodonga, Youth Strategy 2010-2014, City of Wodonga, 2010, pp.4, 15; Rural City of Wangaratta, Youth Strategy, Wangaratta, 2010, p.7; City of Greater Geelong, Youth Strategy 2007-2011, Geelong, 2007, p.21; Murrindindi Shire Council, Recognition and Respect: A strategy for working with young people 2006-2010, Caniambo, 2006, pp.15, 55 34 Freeman et al, “ „Professionalising‟ Participation,‟ pp.59-60 35 Melanie Bunce, „Tea, Respect and Valuing Young People”, Childrenz Issues, vol.6, no.1, 2002, pp.3-4; Freeman et al, “ „Professionalising‟ Participation,‟ pp.59-63, 36 Bunce, „Tea, Respect and Valuing Young People”, pp.3-4;Freeman et al, “ „Professionalising‟ Participation,‟ pp.59-60, 63; Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, p.45 37 Hindmarsh Shire Council, Y-Z 2009-2012, Hindmarsh Shire, 2009, p.12; Rural City of Wangaratta, Youth Strategy, Wangaratta, 2010, pp.7, 13 38 City of Ballarat, Our Youth Strategy 2009-2014, Ballarat, 2009, p.24; City of Greater Bendigo, Youth Development Strategy and Review, Bendigo, 2008, p.51; City of Greater Geelong, Youth Strategy 2007- 2011, Geelong, 2007, p.38; Mansfield Shire, Youth Charter, Mansfield shire, 2008, p.5; Mildura Rural City Council, Youth Agenda 2008-2012, Mildura, 2008, p.36; City of Wodonga, Youth Strategy 2010-2014, City of Wodonga, 2010, pp.27, 29, 31 39 National Volunteer Skills Centre, Youth People and Volunteering – Take a Closer Look, Melbourne, Volunteering Australia, 2007, p.4 40 Freeman et al, “ „Professionalising‟ Participation,” pp.60-62 41 Roger Hart and Michael Schwab, “Children‟s Rights and the Building of Democracy: A Dialogue on the International Movement for Children‟s Participation”, Social Justice, vo.4, no.3, Fall 1997, pp.188-90 42 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, pp.5-8 43 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, p.8 44 Moyne Shire Council, Youth Strategy 2007-2010, Moyne shire, 2007, pp.12, 13, 15, 21 45 Holdsworth et al, Civic Engagement and Young People, pp.5-6, 27, 29-30 46 Ged Dibley and Michael Gordon, Talking participation, taking action: a local government guide to youth participation, Hobart, Tasmanian Office of Children and Young People, 2006, pp.8, 11-12, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 47 Sarah Finlay, “Carving out meaningful spaces for youth participation and engagement in decision-making”, Youth Studies Australia, vol.29, no.4, 2010, pp.55-58 48 Hart and Schwab, “Children‟s Rights and the Building of Democracy”, p.188 49 Shanetta Martin, Karen Pittman, Thaddeus Ferber and Ada McMahon, Building effective youth councils: A practical guide to engaging youth in policy making, Washington DC, The Forum for Youth Involvement, 2007, pp.29-31 50 DEECD, State of Victoria’s Young People, 2008, p.75 51 FREEZA website (Youth Central), http://www.freeza.vic.gov.au/ 2011 52 National Volunteer Skills Centre, Youth People and Volunteering, pp.4, 12 53 City of Toronto, Involve Youth 2, pp.3-4 54 City of Toronto, Involve Youth 2, p.7 55 City of Toronto, Involve Youth 2, p.5