Eurobodalla Council has drafted a youth action plan and is seeking feedback from the community. Youth are considered ages 12 – 24 and make up 11 percent of Eurobodalla's population.
Council's community development and participation manager Kim Bush said the draft plan has three main priorities over four years and will be on public exhibition from Thursday 16 February to Wednesday 15 March.
"After hearing feedback from 659 young people last year, we have set priorities on safety, wellbeing and opportunity," Ms Bush said.
"The plan promotes that everyone, not just Council has a role to play in supporting our young people to thrive."
Eurobodalla Council takes a lead role in delivering strategies to help keep the shire's youth engaged.
"It's important we cement strategies and make sure young people are considered when it comes to support," Ms Bush said.
"We want our shire to be a place where young people choose to live, can feel successful, pursue careers and feel valued."
Statistics show Eurobodalla's median age is 54 and the NSW median age is 39.
"Our shire has an older demographic, which means youth need to speak louder to advocate for meaningful activities, support from adults and safe spaces," Ms Bush said.
The draft youth action plan highlights values youth have identified such as: exploration, freedom, learning and leading.
"These values are reflected by the need to address the lack of access to transport and housing, a desire for diverse events, activities and opportunities, the need for strong youth voices in the community and access to enriching work and education," Ms Bush said.
The draft plan also considers the impact bushfires and pandemic had on the community.
"With all the pressures young people face, it's important we create positive influences and opportunities," Ms Bush said.
"Cultural and social experiences can help shape a young person's outlook on life. It will take a whole-community effort to bring to life and address the opinions and voice of young people and their role in shaping our region."
Ms Bush said Council's youth services team took the lead role in developing the youth action plan. The youth team continues to run a range of community activities and events as well as supporting local services and organisations for young people.
"As the shire continues to evolve, we need to work closely with our youth and the community to make sure we are meeting the current and future needs of our young people," Ms Bush said.
View and provide feedback on the draft youth action plan on the public exhibition page.
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