Over 3,000 young people like myself participated in Your Voice in 2021.
It was a challenging and inspiring process where we were asked to
put forward our concerns about the important issues in society.
yourtown has demonstrated a willingness and commitment to engage with us
and hear us throughout this process and this is
reflected in the recommendations and information that has been collected.
Young people have the drive to create meaningful change
but feel they don't have the means to create it.
I have huge dreams and I want to achieve them more than anything.
I know many in my generation want to own a house and have kids
but it just feels out of reach.
People aren't feeling safe in schools.
We need to treat some of the causes of poor mental health
rather than responding to the effects.
I'm only left with 10 dollars after I pay all my bills and everything
so I've got to try and work that out for a whole fortnight.
Honestly my mental health is probably the worst it's been
due to the constant stresses of assignments.
Not enough is being done; Australia is meant to be equal but are we actually equal?
There have been many complex issues raised by young people
during the Your Voice project with many of these being connected.
The key issues from the survey were:
mental health; education; employment; environment;
cost of living; safety; access to services;
and youth empowerment and participation.
There seems to be a weird middle ground with mental health
services that just isn't covered.
It's so easy to fall through the gaps in our mental health system.
If you're too much for Headspace you either have to figure it out on your own,
or experience care not designed for young people.
A lot of damage can be done based on ignorance
specifically teachers not understanding when someone is struggling.
Mental health, the school education system needs to prepare young people
with practical skills they will need in adulthood.
I'm also worried about the likelihood of getting
a full-time job after graduating.
Young people are employed but don't have access to dependable work.
Even after 13 volunteer positions and 5 internships during my undergraduate degree
I never got a job in my field after I graduated.
My biggest concerns are the wildlife and environment around us are slowly disappearing.
I really think that we should be considering renewables more seriously.
I think that we could and should be world leaders.
Housing is a basic human right and it has become unattainable for young people.
An increase would give me greater time to dedicate to my studies and
help to decrease the financial burden and mental health repercussions of living week to week.
I think a lot of problems start in schools especially with the behavior of students,
being the language used, or actions towards other pupils because there's a lot of homophobia,
transphobia, racism, and sexism in my school.
Often kids won't seek help for the fear of being judged, bullied or stereotyped.
Not enough is being done for young minorities.
I am not taken seriously because my disability isn't obvious.
Dealing with Centrelink is a nightmare.
I do think they should be more clear and transparent and engaged in the community.
There is a lack of representation of diverse voices.
Through the project, 7 recommendations were developed.
The young people in the Your Voice project call for the commonwealth to:
support the development of wellbeing hubs based in education institutions
and the community that supply educational, mental health, employment,
transitional and wellbeing support for young people.
Commit to the development of youth specific communication strategies
developed in consultation with young people to allow for information
about government policies, processes, and supports
to be accessible for all people regardless of their age, background or diverse needs.
The young people in the Your Voice project call for the commonwealth to
increase the rate of welfare
payments and allowances to cover an individual's basic needs that
is regularly reviewed based on changes to the average wage and cost of living;
and increased flexibility and equity in decision-making regarding welfare support
for young people which takes into account the needs
of the individual and their circumstances.
To increase funding to mental health services to develop
more comprehensive referral pathways and support systems to allow
for more timely access to appropriate support for those that require
specialised and intensive support.
Require all federal government funding tenders and grants
including those for health, education, industry,
and business to include details of how organisation will provide a
welcoming, safe and supportive environment for diverse individuals.
The young people that have been a part of the consultations
want the commonwealth government to commit to
having youth engagement and participation as a requirement for local members
during their term.
Commit to action which will limit global temperature increases to 1.5 by 2030.
The benefits of these approaches would mean that young people have
improved health and well-being, have easier access to services,
increased opportunity to find a job, increased connection to the community,
increased independence and trust in the government.
Please listen to us.