Council
24 September, 2025
"Fantastic" Youth strategy launches
Wingecarribee Shire has a new youth strategy designed to make the area a “fantastic place” for young people to live and grow.
Wingecarribee Shire has a new youth strategy designed to make the area a “fantastic place” for young people to live and grow.
The Young Highlands 2025-2029 strategy was adopted at Wingecarribee Shire Council’s September meeting.
The strategy was co-designed with young people and organisations that support young people and is designed to provide targeted resources, opportunities and services to help the more than 7000 people in the Wingecarribee Shire between the ages of 12 and 24 to thrive.
“Young Highlands will serve as a roadmap for the council to work alongside young people, local organisations and services, schools, businesses and the general community to ensure that Wingecarribee Shire remains a fantastic place for young people to live and grow,” the strategy states.
Council engaged extensively with young people as part of the strategy planning process. Main issues of concern locally for people between the ages of 12 and 24 included:
· Vaping, drug and alcohol use;
· Mental health and well-being;
· Bullying, social media and peer pressure;
· Boredom or nothing to do, including a lack of free activities or hangout spots;
· Transport issues including public transport, road safety and pedestrian/bike path connectivity;
· Environment concerns including climate change globally and Plasrefine locally;
· Cost of living;
· Lack of local employment or tertiary education opportunities;
· Lack of recreational facilities or existing facilities requiring upgrades;
· Safety.
They expressed a clear interest in sports and recreation activities followed by music and performance and arts and culture. They were also interested in programs relating to technology and innovation, community service and leadership development – but to a lesser extent.
The strategy lists a range of initiatives under the themes of Heard and Celebrated, Skilled and Ready, Active and Well. Engaged and Included, Safe and Connected and Sustainable and Eco-conscious.
Those initiatives will include an annual youth forum to provide an opportunity for young people to share insights and ideas with local civic and community leaders with at least one idea from the forum to be incorporated into council’s operational plan.
Council will also hold at least two youth-specific engagements annually to ensure young people are active participants in the decision-making process – particularly in relation to the design of local parks, public spaces and recreational facilities.
Council will provide opportunities for young people to gain work experience, internships, cadetships, traineeships, apprenticeships and employment through council and will actively promote local government career pathways.
It will also hold a youth market once a year to provide a platform for young artists and creatives to showcase and sell their work.
Under the theme of ‘Active and Well’, council will identify opportunities to improve existing youth recreation areas, including facilities to support young people to be physically active. It will also engage with young people to ensure upgrades to existing recreational facilities meet their needs and expectations.
To ensure young people are ‘Engaged and Included’, one of the initiatives in the strategy is a biennial ‘Youth Day on the Green’ to celebrate and showcase youth culture, creativity and community.
Initiatives under the theme of ‘Safe and Connected’ will be to provide and promote free Wi-Fi in locations that are safe and accessible for young people to use. Council will also plan and deliver place-based activities across the shire’s villages to support young people’s connections, networks and sense of connection to place.
Under the theme of ‘Sustainable and Eco-conscious’, council will deliver an inter-generational planting initiative and pilot a youth-created podcast aimed at improving community resilience and climate readiness.
Cr Heather Champion – who moved the recommendation that the strategy be adopted – said it was extremely exciting to have a youth strategy in place and acknowledged the amount of work “that has gone into pulling this together in a way that reflects the interests of the young people”.
Cr Champion said finalisation of the strategy demonstrated the value of Wingecarribee Shire’s Youth Council, pointing out that it had been an initiative of mayor Jesse Fitzpatrick.
Three Youth Council members were amongst those who commented on the draft strategy.
Cr Champion said she was pleased that young people had taken the time to look at the draft strategy and to comment on it.
She said she was also pleased that staff had taken on board feedback from Youth Council member Josh McKay and had included a number of initiatives relating to the environment and climate change.
In his submission on the draft strategy, Mr McKay said it would be a “serious mistake” for the strategy not to include a section focused on environmental care.
“The environment will be a constant back drop to our future and especially for the future of our young people,” he wrote.
“If we let climate change and pollution go unchecked, they will wreak further havoc on our beautiful Australian ecosystems, and climate disasters will continue to threaten the safety and security of all Australians. It’s our duty to look after and care for our environment so that those in the future can live in a safe and healthy world.”
Read More: Southern Highlands