Youth Council 2025 Priorities

Early each year the Youth Council is required to establish an annual list of priorities that will guide its strategic direction during that year. The Youth Council have identified three broad priority areas for 2025 that directly relate to young people. The three priority areas are: Equity and Diversity, Access and Participation, and Environment and Public Infrastructure.

Each priority area has a working group with three to eight Youth Councillors as members and is chaired by a Youth Councillor. The role of each working group is to explore and develop options for consideration by the Youth Council.

 

Equity and Diversity

The purpose of the Equity and Diversity Working Group is to explore and develop options and/or recommendations for the Youth Council to consider relating to:

  • The LGBTQIA+ community,

  • Young people,

  • First Nations members of the community,

  • Culturally and linguistically diverse members of the community,

  • Refugees,

  • People living with a disability,

  • Homelessness,

  • People living with mental illness,

  • People from low socio-economic backgrounds,

  • Public safety,

  • Woman and gender equity; and

  • Men’s violence.

 

Access and Participation

The purpose of the Access and Participation Working Group is to explore and develop options and/or recommendations for the Youth Council to consider relating to:

  • Access to educational opportunities,

  • Access to volunteer opportunities,

  • Pathways to employment opportunities,

  • Participation in local sporting and recreational groups,

  • Participation in local cultural and arts groups; and

  • Access to community services and resources including the rural areas of Greater Bendigo.

 

Environment and Public Infrastructure

The purpose of the Environment and Public Infrastructure Working Group is to explore and develop options and/or recommendations for the Youth Council to consider relating to:

  • Climate Change,

  • Sustainable Development,

  • Biodiversity,

  • Waste collection,

  • First Nations people and the environment,

  • Heritage,

  • Public spaces,

  • Public and active transport,

  • Vandalism; and 

  • Sports and recreational facilities. 

Youth Council Priorities Statement