Moyne and Warrnambool Youth Strategy 2025 – 2030

Acknowledgment of Country

Moyne Shire Council and Warrnambool City Council acknowledge the Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar People as the Traditional Custodians of the lands that encompass the region. We recognise Traditional Owners’ care for and connection to Country, a relationship which has endured for tens of thousands of years and continues today. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging, as well as to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the region.

1. Introduction

This shared Youth Strategy guides how Moyne Shire Council and Warrnambool City Council will work together to enhance the lives of young people across the region.

Young people are defined as those aged between 12 and 25 years old. This time encompasses key stages of life and essential moments of development. The goal of this strategy is to articulate what the councils can do to enhance this important time in the lives of young people and set them up for the future.

Our region is undergoing significant transformation, driven by a growing population and changes to industry and employment. It is home to approximately 8000 young people. Supporting them, creating an environment where they can thrive, and ensuring they can make a life here significantly benefits our whole community.

While delivery of support services for young people are handled by a range of organisations and agencies, there are significant opportunities for the councils to make a positive impact. This includes shaping the way places are designed, nurturing community connections, and creating opportunities for growth and empowerment. These works will support the crucial activities of the wider youth sector.

In delivering the actions outlined in this strategy, Moyne Shire Council and Warrnambool City Council are committed to upholding the Victorian Government’s Child Safe Standards and will work to ensure spaces, programs and events are inclusive to and respectful of all youth in the region – regardless of location, identity or ability.

The two councils are cooperating on this strategy to provide a consistent regional approach and ensure benefits flow to both rural and urban young people. It builds on past collaborations, formalises the partnership, and positions the organisations to capitalise on future opportunities.

Finally, the councils would like to thank representatives of the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, First Peoples State Relations and councillors who guided the development of this strategy, as well as all the young people, community members and key stakeholders who shared their perspectives and insights.

The following pages present the different elements of the strategy and what the councils will do to achieve its aims.

2. Strategic context

This shared strategy is informed by and responds to a range of aspirations and objectives.

3. How we developed the strategy

The strategy was developed through a rigorous process, informed and guided by young people and relevant local, regional and national strategies.

Our youth co-design panel

This strategy was developed in partnership with representatives of the region’s youth. A Co-Design Panel comprising 20 young people (10 from Warrnambool and 10 from Moyne) was convened. They met at key stages throughout the process to guide the work and make key decisions about the shape of the strategy and its direction. The Youth Co-design Panel consisted of:

• Arthur Breunig
• Jess Bushell
• Evie Dalton
• Julia Delaney
• Naeve Denigan
• Bailey Else
• Liam Flaherty
• Jaali Lang
• Madeline Main
• Briar Merrett
• Nick Northeast
• Lily Potter
• Emma Rag
• Isabella Reesink
• Frances Roberts
• Sharna Rogers
• Mitchell Spencer
• Bryanna Willie
• Jenna Winnen
• Tilly Woodward

Engagement activities

Extensive consultations were undertaken with young people across the region, as well as with the various adults in their lives. This included:

• Consultations with schools, support service providers, sporting clubs, community organisations, employers, Traditional Owners, and council stakeholders
• 41 in-person conversations engaging 271 young people and 126 adults
• Two online surveys capturing the views of 389 young people and 69 adults

Key findings

The engagements produced a series of key findings:

• Young people love the region — despite some challenges and discontent, there was an overwhelming gratitude for where they live
• Hanging out in-person is the most valued type of connection – yes, screens are a constant part of life, but unstructured time together is what young people crave
• Young people are looking for a sense of belonging – they want to feel like an accepted part of the community (in all their diversity) and be connected to it
• The weight of the world hangs heavy on young people – Cost of living, mental health and housing challenges lead to many either not engaging with the future or reducing their vision for what it could be
• Issues around transportation have a huge impact – getting around is a perennial challenge impacting autonomy, safety and career opportunities
• Young people are disconnected fromopportunities, services and resources – while many are available, they are either invisible to young people or there are significant barriers to accessing them, and
• Programming sometimes misses the mark – there’s lots for children and adults, but limited opportunities reflecting the tastes of young people.

The Youth Co-Design Panel considered these findings to decide on the areas of focus for the strategy.

The full context and engagement report is available at either moyne.vic.gov.au/our-community/youth or warrnambool.vic.gov.au/youth.

4. Vision for the future

This vision statement articulates an ideal future young people want for themselves. It describes what they want their lives in the region to be like.

Realising this vision is a shared community responsibility and requires the energies and input of:

• Families
• School and education institutions
• Youth service providers
• Community groups
• Employers
• Peak bodies
• The councils
• State and federal governments

The following sections outline the councils’ contributions to achieving these aspirations.

5. The councils’ role

There are a number of key ways the councils will foster a positive environment for young people and support the work of the youth sector.

Be the connector between resources, opportunities and young people

The councils will actively engage with relevant parties, fostering links between groups, communities, support services, opportunities, and resources.

Genuinely engage young people

The councils will actively involve young people when developing strategies and plans or undertaking major projects, valuing their contributions and responding to their perspectives and insights.

Seek funding for initiatives

The councils will pursue external funding to deliver programs and initiatives for and with young people across the region, continuously monitoring and assessing opportunities.

Undertake advocacy work

the councils will advocate to federal governments for the needs of young people, working with strategic partners on changes that will enhance their experiences and opportunities.

Deliver targeted programs

The councils will use secured funding to provide a range of programs to support, delight and expand the lives of young people across the region, from practical upskilling to creative entertainment.

6. Areas of focus

These are the areas the councils will focus on over the five year life of the Strategy. All the programs, initiatives, and behind the scenes activities the councils do will be to further these goals.

Creating better spaces and places

Young people need places to connect with their peers, enjoy unstructured hang outs and just be. These should encourage connections between young people and increase their visibility in community life, whether they are in the city or out in the regions. This could involve better utilisation of existing spaces or tweaks to public infrastructure. The goal is to provide accessible spaces where young people feel comfortable.

Improving accessibility and encouraging participation

Enabling young people to participate in the life of the community increases their connections, fosters good mental health, and enhances their quality of life. Being able to access opportunities and develop their capabilities will expand their worldviews and prospects. This could include improvements to transportation, greater visibility of assets, better connection to employment opportunities, and smoother processes for accessing resources. The goal is to widen the scope of what’s possible for young people.

Fostering belonging and acceptance

For young people to feel part of their community they need to feel safe and free to express their ideas and identities. Achieving this will require the removal of stigma and the enthusiastic embrace of all people and cultures by the community. This could include increasing the visibility of difference and diversity, and celebrating young people’s activities, interests and achievements. The goal is to create a supportive and inclusive where young people can thrive.

These areas reflect ways the councils can improve the environment for young people and empower them to participate in community life. This complements and supports the delivery of essential support services by the youth sector and other stakeholders.

7. Programs and initiatives

The councils will undertake a series of initiatives, programs and behind the scenes activities to deliver the strategy.

Joint programs and initiatives

Youth Advisory Board

The councils will establish an advisory board which they will report to and consult with on key council business impacting young people. The team will comprise half Moyne and half Warrnambool youth and be refreshed every year. Its members will receive training in governance, be paid, and actively participate in driving the Youth Strategy.

Reimagining volunteering

Creating ways for young people to participate in volunteering opportunities will support the goals of creating connections across the community and enhancing their capabilities. This will require a change in the way volunteering operates in the region, working with organisations to adjust the way they offer and manage volunteer opportunities, as well as developing new ways of engaging and supporting young people to take them up. It will be a major project, including extensive work with community organisations, development of a new online platform, and promotion to young people.

Program areas

Collaborative event programming

Create a consistent and engaging calendar of events for young people across the urban and rural parts of the region

Skills development training

Provide training opportunities that fill gaps not covered by other organisations, with an eye to creating pathways that support skill development

Public space upgrades

Identify and pursue opportunities to create spaces for young people to gather, connect and hang out in unstructured ways

Support for employment opportunities

Work with partners in government, academia and industry to establish new job opportunities for the region’s youth

Resource and opportunities hub

Make the assets, resources and opportunities available to young people visible and accessible

Strategic connection forums

Regularly bring together key stakeholders to align activities and planning, and consider insights, needs and opportunities

Advocacy for young people’s needs

Represent the needs of young people to government bodies and push for changes to make their lives better

Planning and strategy inclusion

Undertake genuine engagement with young people when developing new strategies or major projects to ensure their needs are considered

Celebrate young people

Promote the incredible achievements and diversity of our region’s young people

Youth grants

Opening up access to the councils’ community grants programs for young people to deliver initiatives for their peers, either through dedicated streams or targeted promotion

These are the actions the two councils will undertake to enable the initiatives and programs to take place. This section of the strategy will be updated each year to reflect progress and the evolving requirements of the programs and initiatives.

8. The impact we want to see

9. Governance

Responsibility

Delivering the Youth Strategy is a whole of council responsibility. While the community development units of each council will take the lead, the actions encompass all areas of the organisations. The Youth Officers will drive the relationship building and program delivery, drawing on resources from across council departments and foster collaborations.

Accountability

The Youth Advisory Board will meet regularly to review the councils’ progress and provide input, direction and insights as relevant. The councils will update the Board on progress of the Youth Strategy and any relevant developments from other strategies, plans or projects.

Reporting

The councils will report annually to the community on the progress of the strategy. This will include updates on each of the initiatives, programs and actions listed in the strategy. The list of behind the scenes activities will be updated each year to reflect developments in projects and incorporate any new actions being undertaken. This allows the strategy to evolve and respond to opportunities as they arise and ensure the community can see what is happening.

Contact Us

PO Box 51, Princes Street Port Fairy, VIC 3284, phone 1300 656 564 moyne@moyne.vic.gov.au

PO Box 198, 25 Liebig Street, Warrnambool Victoria 3280, phone 1300 003 280 contact@warrnambool.vic.gov.au