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Young people, participation
and local government
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“ALIVE AND MOTIVATED”:
YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICIPATION AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Sherry Saggers, David Palmer, Paul Royce, Lou Wilson and Alan Charlton
ii Alive and Motivated
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AFFAIRS RESEARCH SCHEME (NYARS) was established in 1985 as a cooperative funding
arrangement between the Australian, State and Territory Governments to facilitate nationally-based research
into current social, political and economic factors affecting young people. The Scheme operates under the
auspices of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA).
Reports from NYARS studies released since the early 1990s are available free-of-charge on the web site of the
Australian Government Department responsible for youth affairs. At the time this report was published, the
web site address was: http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/aboutfacs/programs/youth-nyars.htm
Copyright © 2004, National Youth Affairs Research Scheme
ISBN 0 9752498 0 0
This paper was prepared by the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme (NYARS) and is intended to promote
background research and other information as a basis for discussion. The views expressed in this paper are those
of the authors and are not necessarily those of the NYARS Steering Committee; the Ministerial Council on Education,
Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA); or individual Australian Government, State or Territory Youth
Ministers or Departments responsible for Youth Affairs.
Published by Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services on behalf of NYARS
Printed by National Capital Printing, Canberra
Contents iii
Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Executive summary 1
Chapter 1 Introduction 5
Purpose of the research 6
Objectives 6
The research team 7
Research methodology 7
Limitations 7
Chapter 2 Young people, participation and local government 9
Introduction 9
Changes in local government in Australia 9
What is “youth”? 11
Working with young people 12
Young people and participation 13
Community development and capacity building 15
Conclusion 15
Chapter 3 Youth services and other activities in local government in Australia 17
Introduction 17
Survey response 18
Range of services and other activities 19
Target groups 22
Funding 22
Governance 23
In kind support 24
Method of service provision 24
Youth service workers 25
Innovation 27
Profiles of local government youth services 28
Conclusion 30
Chapter 4 Reading and telling their own stories 31
Purpose of the case studies 31
Introduction 32
The GRIND newspaper 32
Short Fuse Youth Theatre Group 37
Palmerston Public Library Young Adults Program 40
Conclusion 45
iv Alive and Motivated
Chapter 5 Places and spaces for young people 47
Introduction 47
Public Spaces Protocol 47
The Longford Police Caution Project 53
Conclusion 57
Chapter 6 Flexible services through mobile outreach 59
Introduction 59
FEWCHA and the KAMELEON 59
Hornsby Shire Council Youth Services 63
Conclusion 68
Chapter 7 Engaging with Indigenous young people 69
Introduction 69
“About Jobs” 69
The Messenger/Dreaming Project 74
Moonah Community Group 79
Promoting Aboriginal Leadership in Schools 82
Conclusion 86
Chapter 8 Service delivery through the “one-stop-shop” 87
Introduction 87
Frontyard Youth Services 87
Onkaparinga Youth Development Model 92
Spinach web site 95
Conclusion 98
Chapter 9 Youth practice in local government 99
Towards a typology of local government practice 99
Youth participation and local government 101
What gets in the way of youth participation? 106
Conclusion 110
Chapter 10 Towards quality youth practice 111
What works? 111
Towards a framework for quality in local government practice 118
Conclusion 121
References 123
Appendices 129
1 Detailed methodology 129
2 Reference group 132
3 Online survey 133
4 Interview schedule 140
5 Case study sites 144
Tables v
Tables
Table 1: Survey response by state and territory 18
Table 2: Metropolitan and non-metropolitan survey responses 19
Table 3: Local government services provided for young people 19
Table 4: Recreational facilities provided by local government 21
Table 5: Target groups of local government youth services 22
Table 6: Main sources of funding for local government youth services 23
Table 7: Participation by young people in local government 23
Table 8: Groups in receipt of in-kind support from local government 24
Table 9: In-house provision of youth services 25
Table 10: Local government youth services by external contractor 26
Table 11: Youth services employees of local government 27
Table 12: Innovative programs for young people by local government 27
Table 13: A plan for improving youth practice in local government 119
vi Alive and Motivated
Acknowledgments David Khoury, member of 2002 Australian
Principal investigators for this project were National Youth Roundtable; Ralph Lahey,
Sherry Saggers (Centre for Social Research, ATSIC, Queensland; Paul Martin, Shire of
Edith Cowan University), David Palmer Mundaring, Western Australia; Selena Uibo,
(Sociology and Community Development, 2002 National Youth Roundtable member.
Murdoch University), Paul Royce (Town Administrative support was provided by the
of Kwinana) and Lou Wilson (consultant). Institute for the Service Professions, Edith
Alan Charlton was employed as a research
Cowan University.
associate on the project. Reference Group
We would like to acknowledge the young
members were: John Bailey, Darwin City
Councillor; Judith Bessant, Australian people, local government employees and
Catholic University, Melbourne; Stuart Boyd other informants who enthusiastically
and Mandy Smith, Adelaide City Council; contributed to this project, both during the
Janie Dickenson, Launceston City Council; field visits and subsequently.
Executive summary
Purpose of the research dynamic category subject to changing policies
and practices. The way in which young people
The purpose of this research was to develop
have been conceptualised has influenced the
a deeper understanding of the role and impact
development of youth work, as a discrete
of local government on young people, and
category of service. A contemporary focus on
how it may strengthen their inclusion in the
community development, participation and
communities in which they live. The research
sought to provide a comprehensive review of civic engagement frames at least the language
the range and effectiveness of service delivery and sometimes the content of much recent
models designed for or accessed by young work with young people.
people in diverse parts of Australia.
Online survey
Research methods An online survey of youth services in all
Research methods included the collection local governments in Australia had a 35.7
of qualitative and quantitative data and was per cent response rate. The purpose of
guided by a Reference Group comprising young the survey was to: ascertain the range of
people, local government representatives, services and programs provided by local
and a youth work academic. A literature government; determine the target groups,
review of local government engagement with funding, governance, and methods of
young people reveals a shift in focus of local service provision; outline youth services staff
government from property services to human employed; and to invite local governments
services, and structural and process “reforms” to nominate programs they considered
which have required more demanding forms innovative and which would form the basis
of governance. Young people, too, represent a for our case studies. The results reveal
2 Alive and Motivated
that youth services and activities are Community education and social action, using
diverse, ranging from the most traditional, cultural development and the arts featured
in the form of libraries and recreation, to in some projects. Consultation and building
the more recent attractions of information agreements between young people and other
technology and electronic communication. community stakeholders were emphasised
A significant part of local government work in some places, while the management and
with young people involves leadership and regulation of young people’s behaviour was
coordination, planning, policy development, typical of others.
advocacy and lobbying, and facilitation
and support. Local governments are taking Models of youth practice in
a more prominent role in the provision of local government
education, employment and training for
Using data from this research and the
young people than in the past, and services
scholarly literature on young people and
are delivered by a diverse combination of
participation, models of youth practice are
in-house and external providers. A wide reviewed. This includes a typology of local
range of youth service staff are employed government youth work practice which
by local government. illustrates the importance of underlying
philosophies, target groups, rationale and
Case studies methods, collaboration and diversity, and
Case studies of innovative programs the focus of activities. Local government
nominated by local governments and selected youth practice is more than service work,
by the Reference Group, were conducted in involving the development of youth policy,
all states and territories except the Australian coordinating activities of local groups,
Capital Territory. These case studies provide assisting groups to apply for funding
a rich source of information about the and planning programs, and researching
history, achievements and challenges facing priorities of young people. Youth councils
each project, providing sufficient detail for and other participatory mechanisms of local
others to determine the applicability of the government are not new and in some cases
project to other areas. A review of the case may offer a flawed model for engaging with
studies reveals differences in the focus of young people. Inhibitors to participation
by young people identified by this research
projects, including those which: offer a
are discussed.
service to young people; are concerned with
representation and advocacy of and for young
Towards quality youth practice in
people; target particular “at risk” groups; or
rely on local networks with an emphasis on local government
family, community and leadership. Virtually all Finally the ingredients for quality practice,
councils have some formal youth governance built upon respectful collaboration with
structures such as youth advisory groups or young people, are reviewed. These include:
councils, while some included less formal community resourcing; the importance
means of mentoring, modelling and offering of relationships; having fun; food; time;
advice. A number of projects concentrated space; practical activity; flexibility and
on training and educating young people diversity of initiatives; simply talking;
for the labour market, while others offered clarity of purpose and commitment;
organised activities and leisure options. promoting success; resources; acting