City Gathers Youth Input for Strategy

Community Development Officer – Youth, Jo McKay said the team included Melville Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members and other passionate young people, who wanted to make a positive change in their community. “The team – with support from centre management – recently started conducting surveys at Garden City Shopping Centre, targeting youth using the centre after school and during late-night shopping,” she said.

“Youth Engagement Officers (YEOs) Callum Prior and Craig Stephenson are also supporting the RESET team to run focus groups and lunchtime surveys at local schools. The team will also conduct outreach into public spaces – including skate parks, sporting clubs, and local shops – to try to capture the opinions of young people who may not be accessing mainstream services. The survey phase of the project will be completed by the end of this school term,” she said.

“The team will then work directly with project consultant Jude Bridgeland-Sorenson to begin data analysis. Jude, who has worked on State and Federal Government youth projects and is a specialist in youth participation, has been contracted by the City to train and support the RESET team as young researchers. Following data analysis, the group will present the City with the research findings and recommendations. These will then feed into the City’s Direction for Youth Strategy, a future planning document relating to young people and their needs,” she said.

Mayor Russell Aubrey said he was interested in hearing about the personal experiences of young people in the City. “Although I strongly believe the City of Melville is a wonderful place to live in and enjoy, I am also aware there is always room for new ideas and improvement. It is important that young people’s views are heard, given they will shape our future and are likely to live in or visit the City for many years to come,” he said.

For more information about the surveying, or other youth initiatives and activities, contact Jo McKay on 9364 0669 or email jo.mckay@melville.wa.gov.au.