THE Southern Downs Regional Council Youth Action Plan for 2016/2017 was endorsed by the council at the recent general meeting.
Southern Downs mayor Tracy Dobie said the council was very pleased to endorse this year’s Youth Action Plan and praised those involved in bringing the plan together.
“The new Youth Action Plan is a result of significant engagement with the Southern Downs young leaders, councillors, council staff and agencies including headspace Warwick, Southern Downs Industry Education Association (SDIEA), and CDS Stanthorpe,” Cr Dobie said.
“The councillors and I, along with external agency representatives, were privileged to work with our young leaders on the development of this plan at a Youth Action Plan evening held in early June this year.
“We were certainly impressed by the calibre of the engagement and participation by the young leaders.
“Their energy and enthusiasm in discussing the issues facing our young people across the region was commendable, and the council looks forward to the actions identified in the 2016/2017 Youth Action Plan being implemented.”
The top 10 issues identified during the development of the plan were, Drugs and Alcohol, Sport and Recreation, Cyber Bullying and Social Media, Crime and Vandalism, Housing and Homelessness, Education and Training, Transport, Parenting and Life skills, Health and Wellbeing, and Employment.
The council’s youth development officer Hailey Cosh-Rickard said that the Youth Action Plan encompassed objectives, strategies, actions, and responsibilities for the next 12 months for the council’s Young Leaders Program.
“The young leaders are currently working on their projects for the next six months and we anticipate that details of key projects and activities will be released in the near future,” she said.
The Youth Action Plan also links with the corporate plan, operational plan and community plan 2030, including the implementation of objectives, strategies, and actions align with all of the key visions of the community plan.
Cr Dobie said all councillors were keen to work with the young leaders on issues of importance.
“We have confidence that our young leaders will be the voice of young people in the Southern Downs, and that the team will have a positive impact in matters of importance and interest to our young people,” she said.
“I’d also encourage our young leaders to consider opportunities that will arise in the near future for young people aged 25 years or less to become representatives in the council’s advisory committees, and to help spread that message to other young people across the region.”
The council thanked the contributors to the annual Youth Action Plan, including SDIEA, headspace Warwick, and CDS Stanthorpe.
