Sunshine Coast young people have had their say and friendship, outdoor spaces, education and the environment are the main things our younger generation loves about our region.
However, they are concerned about mental health, public safety and drug and alcohol issues.
Sunshine Coast Council recently* engaged with more than 600 local community members aged 12-24 years old to understand their priorities and concerns.
The engagement program also helped to highlight how our young people prefer to be engaged and communicated with.
Sunshine Coast Council Community Portfolio Councillor David Law thanked all those who participated in the engagement program.
"To be the best region we can be, it's important that we engage with and hear the young people in our community," Cr Law said.
"They are our key leaders now and into the future and need to be involved now in decision making.
"These findings will provide direction for the Sunshine Coast Youth Council to deliver collaborative actions in some of these areas as well as help council to more effectively engage with young people."
Engagement participant and King Beach resident Dekotah, aged 21, said she was glad to take part and have her say on what was important to her.
"Being new to the area I was impressed that Sunshine Coast Council was engaging with and listening to young people, including myself, and to have initiatives like these at the forefront of the organisation," Dekotah said.
"The survey was simple and easy to use and showed how many different options are available for different community needs within different areas now and into the future.
"It was great to see sustainability feature in the survey and see its importance to Sunshine Coast Council, especially when compared to many other councils."
Sunshine Coast Youth Council Member, Agnes, aged 16 said initially the Youth Council had different ideas as to what the young people valued, and shows the importance of wide community engagement.
"By asking the wider community we were able to understand the number one concern for youth – mental health," Agnes said.
"Try as adults might, they don't truly know our concerns and worries, so who better to ask than the actual youth
"By engaging young people, we can work together to come up with solutions to help solve issues raised and build the future of the Sunshine Coast together.
"The Youth Council will use the information collected and help brainstorm and come up with ideas and possible solutions."
The Youth Council meets once a month and consists of residents aged 15-24 years old.
Engagement program:
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Seven-week engagement program
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632 surveys completed
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16 stories contributed
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Two pop-up stalls held
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Two focus groups held.
*March-May 2022
