The state’s first dedicated NSW Office for Youth was launched this week.
It comes as Gunnedah Shire Council continues recruitment for its Youth Working Group to provide advice and recommendations on matters pertaining to the youth – and a government report which shows voices of young people are not being heard.
The NSW Government’s 2024 Youth Summit Report shows 76 per cent of young people feel unheard in government decision-making.
The NSW Office for Youth was launched at NSW Parliament alongside the young people who helped build it – including advocates, content creators, and MPs.
Young people made their expectations clear through 12 months of consultation and at the 2024 NSW Youth Summit: consultation without follow-through is no longer acceptable. They called for genuine influence in shaping policy.
To help achieve this, the Office for Youth will:
· Engage young people on their terms – in urban and regional areas, online, and through community-based initiatives.
· Embed youth perspectives across government policies and programs from the outset, not as an afterthought.
· Cut through red tape and duplication that currently exists.
From climate and housing to justice, mental health, and equity, young people in NSW have consistently shown leadership. The NSW Office for Youth will ensure that leadership is formally recognised, respected, and integrated into decision-making processes across government.
Also released this week were key findings of the 2024 Youth Summit Report which show:
· 76 per cent of young people say government doesn’t listen.
· Cost of living is the top issue, followed by mental health and vaping.
· 1 in 10 have experienced homelessness.
· 85 per cent voted in 2023 but still feel shut out.
