Consultation
Hobart City Council has engaged in consultation with young people for many years and has established a number of processes to achieve this. Consultation with young people achieves many important outcomes for Council, for young people and the broader community. These include;
- Representing the views and needs of young people who live, study, work and recreate within Hobart,
- Creating links between young people, the community and Hobart City Council,
- Being involved in the planning, development and implementation of Council events, programs, developments and projects that are specific to or involve young people,
- Identifying and addressing the aspirations, goals, issues, concerns and gaps in service for young people,
- Participating in the development and implementation of Council policies that relate to young people,
- Actively promoting a positive image of youth within the Hobart municipal area and greater community, and
- Building positive relationships/partnerships with a variety of community groups within the Hobart municipal area.
Futures
In 2004 Council consolidated youth consultation processes with the establishment of the Futures Youth Advisory Committee. Futures provided the young people of Hobart with a formal mechanism to represent their interests and opinions to the Hobart City Council. The committee was also involved in delivering a diverse range of activities, events and forums that engaged many young people throughout its existence. This included the following.
- National Youth Week Events - organising several large community events featuring a variety of performers and showcasing the contributions of young people to the community.
- Youth Consultation - facilitating regular youth forums to consult young people on critical issues and provide information to Council staff.
- Advising Council - regularly providing Council with advice on youth program delivery and initiating events and projects that respond to the needs of young people.
Futures Youth Advisory Committee was also a finalist in the Pride Of Australia Medal 2006
In 2010 a consultation process with members of Futures identified the need to change the consultation model that Council was engaged in with young people. The new model shifts the focus of consultation from working with a dedicated group of young people to a broader more inclusive process that involves a greater number and diversity of young people. To this end Council now engages with high school and college Student Representative Councils as well as young people engaged in alternative education program and culturally diverse organisations.
Through this new model Hobart City Council will undertake surveys, run forums and engage young people in project based consultation so that the interests and opinions of a much more diverse representation of young people is heard and implemented in the delivery of youth programs in the city of Hobart.
The first consultation project under this new model was undertaken in May 2011 when young people participated in a facilitated discussion that focussed on Council's Inner City Development Plan. This provided young people from several Hobart schools and colleges with an opportunity to review, discuss and comment on Gehl Architect's recommendations to enhance the city of Hobart.
Hobart City Council will continue to build on this model of consultation to ensure that it includes a diverse range of young people and look forward to hearing what they have to say.
For more information please contact Council's Youth Participation Officer, Mark Potter on 6231 5150 or potterm@hobartcity.com.au