Young people

Youth Week is the largest celebration of young people in Australia.

It is It is organised by young people, for young people and takes place in April each year.

Youth Week began as a NSW Government initiative in 1989, and has grown to be a celebration of young people in every state and territory across the country.

The 9-day event encourages thousands of 12-24 year olds from across Australia to have fun, showcase their artistic and creative talents and learn new skills.

Tweed Shire Council jointly funds National Youth Week activities with the NSW Government.

The funding agreement requires that young people are involved in all aspects of Youth Week, including the planning, development and management of activities and events.

Youth Homelessness Matters Day is held each year during National Youth Week.

It aims to raise public awareness about youth homelessness.

Youth Homelessness Matters Day also celebrate the resilience of young people who are at risk of, or experiencing homelessness in Australia.

Activities and competitions for young people are held at skate bowl locations at Cabarita Beach, Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads South.

An annual careers expo for parents and Year 10- 2 students.

It showcases TAFE, universities, Registered Training Organisations, Group Training Organisations, Job Network, Youth Providers and industry representatives.

It offers parents and their children career advice and pathway options.

Max Potential is a youth leadership program that connects community leaders with young aspiring leaders.

Max Potential connects high school students with local community and business leaders who are trained as coaches. 

It aims to improve regional wellbeing through community engagement and a common vision to maximise the lives and leadership potential of young people in the Tweed Heads area.

The Tweed Shire Youth Network provides an opportunity for those who work with and support young people to stay in touch and share information.

It is a reference point for Council, other levels of government and non-government organisations to discuss issues impacting young people and effect change through advocacy.

The Tweed Shire Housing and Homelessness Network aims to build an innovative and integrated housing and homeless service system in the Tweed Shire, through maximising opportunities to address homelessness and housing needs at all levels, including government, service providers, community and those most at risk in our region.

Community Drug Action Teams (CDAT) are made up of individuals, local service providers and business people, who work together to develop practical solutions for the drug and alcohol issues affecting our communities.

Kids in Community Committee seeks to highlight the ways young people and those supporting them, strengthen and inspire our community.

Through their contributions, the diversity of social and cultural backgrounds of our youth, and the acceptance and respect they have for their differing traditions, interests and values is highlighted.

Fred's Place Advisory Committee helps to guide the operations of the facility that provides an opportunity for people experiencing homelessness in the Tweed Heads region to develop the skills and capacity to return to independent living in the community.

The Youth Strategy and Action Plan is based on the concepts of capacity building, partnership and empowerment to ensure that young people can feel more connected to where they live and will be able to be involved in the planning and delivery of decisions that affect them. To complement the Youth Strategy and Action Plan a number of documents were developed including the Youth Profile, Youth Facilities Plan, Youth Engagement Report and Youth Case Studies.

The Youth Profile provides an overview of the demographic trends pertaining to Tweed's young people. Importantly, while the 12-24 year old population cohort is projected to increase by 5,070 between 2011 and 2031, the proportion of young people will decrease from 14.2% to 13.4% of the Tweed population by 2031. A survey of 237 young people completed as part of the community engagement identified that 54% of young people surveyed saw no future for themselves in Tweed, mainly due to lack of opportunity. Disengaged young people, a loss of local youth and an ageing population can mean a loss of vibrancy, creativity and talent; and a loss of service, trade and retail workers which would negatively impact on the Tweed’s economy, community and culture.

The Youth Facilities Plan provides an analysis of the current and forecast (to 2031) youth facility needs for young people aged 12-24 years. A youth facility is a building or space that can be used by young people for recreational, social, sporting, educational, cultural or training purposes. 

The Youth Engagement Report provides full details of the extensive engagement activities undertaken with young people, service providers, parents and carers to develop the Youth Strategy and Action Plan.

A number of best practice case studies are provided to illustrate the range of successful youth engagement tools, places and spaces, programs and services available to inform the way Council engages with and responds to young people.