- Open date
06 July 2026
- Closing date
11 October 2026
Last update date: 27 August 2026
Young people are key stakeholders in shaping the future of the City of Stirling. With around 17% of local residents aged 10 to 24, they are important contributors to our community and our experience tells us that when young people are supported to reach their potential the whole community benefits.
A key focus for the City is ensuring young people are valued and respected in decision-making, helping to create a more inclusive community in which young people feel connected and supported.
Recent insights from the City's community engagement highlighted that young people (aged 17 to 25) share similar focus areas to the broader community, including connection, affordability, safety, and access to spaces and opportunities. Importantly, it also highlighted that supporting the wellbeing, inclusion and participation of young people is both a challenge and an opportunity for the City.
In response, Youth Focus is an initiative to actively engage with young people and youth service providers to understand the priorities and strengthen support for all young people.
The City recognises that meaningful engagement with young people requires a tailored, inclusive and flexible approach. Young people bring valuable local knowledge, experience and perspectives and this initiative will help us understand what matters most to our young people.
This approach supports a stronger youth focus, ensuring young people are actively involved in shaping and co-creating the future of our City.
To respond to this, the Youth Focus engagement will be guided by a commitment to inclusive, meaningful and youth-centred engagement. During Phase One, the City will focus on better understanding and connecting with young people across five key areas:
Start where young people are at
Engage young people in spaces they already use, both online and within their local communities.Understand issues impacting young people
Build a stronger evidence base around the issues, challenges and opportunities shaping young people’s lives.Partner with schools and local networks
Work with schools, organisations and community groups to expand reach and strengthen connections.Apply an inclusion lens
Ensure engagement activities are accessible, welcoming and reflective of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of young people.Be youth-led
Through the YACWA peer research project, young people will play an active role in designing and delivering engagement, helping to build trust and connect with their peers in authentic ways.
Through this approach, we aim to build stronger relationships with young people, deepen our understanding of their needs and aspirations, and ensure their voices are embedded in how we plan for the future of the City of Stirling.
The City has now recruited a team of young peer researchers aged 15 to 25 who live, work, study or volunteer in the City of Stirling.
Working alongside the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA), the peer researchers have completed their training and are now connecting with young people across our community to better understand the issues, opportunities and priorities that matter most to young people across the City.
The Youth Focus Survey is now open, and we’re inviting young people connected to Stirling, as well as parents and carers, schools, service providers and community members, to share their experiences, ideas and priorities for the future of young people in our City.
Insights gathered through the survey will help strengthen the City’s understanding of what matters most to young people and inform future planning, decision-making and the City’s Social Framework.
Information about opportunities to participate will be shared on this page throughout the project. Youth Focus postcards are also available at City of Stirling Libraries and selected recreation centres, inviting community members to share their “one big idea” for making Stirling the best place to be for young people.
The survey is open until 11 October 2026. Participants who complete the survey can enter the draw to win a $50 or $100 gift card.
