Youth Action

Things to do list

Introduction

This is the 2006/07 'things to do list', which is our way of making youth action a "living" document. It shows all the projects, activities and events that we'll do to achieve the objectives for youth action this year.

This is the sixth list of actions that we have created. The list is developed every year by a network of staff from around Auckland City (and closely aligned organisations). The members of the network are either directly involved with young people through their work, or are representatives from groups who are directly affected by the youth policy. The resulting plan identifies how Auckland City will contribute to achieving the objectives of the youth action policy for that year.

A different approach has been taken with the 2006/07 "things to do list". It has moved away from listing every project within Council where young people may be involved and their views considered, to identifying key projects and outcomes. This is due in part to the organisation adopting more of a youth focus in its work, as well as the need to 'get smarter' in communicating key initiatives to stakeholders. Achievements will be celebrated at the end of 2006/07, to give more visibility and recognition to the work that Auckland City does for and with young people.

The projects for 2006/07 are across the range of objectives of the youth policy and include establishing a teen reference group at the central library and making sure that the views of young people are considered in the development of an open space strategy for the city.

Youth Action project highlights for 2006/07

Strategic review of issues and trends for young people in the city

During 2005/06 stage one of an environmental scan was begun by officers, as to the current issues and future trends for Auckland's young people and where Council should be targeting its resources. This research will continue in 2006/07 and will also include the development of a youth profile for the city, incorporating the new census information (due to be released in November) and other statistics. The strategic review is due to be completed by the end of 2006 and the resulting information will influence the future direction and implementation of Council's Youth Action policy.

Youth transition programme

The Youth Transition Service (YTS) is co-ordinated through the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), funded through their regional programmes and implemented in partnership with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs. Its goal is that by 2007, all 15 - 19 year olds will be in work, education or training, or other activities that contribute to their long-term economic independence and wellbeing.

A steering group of Council officers and MSD representatives has been established to develop a YTS for Auckland City. Community consultation will occur in August, with the service due to be launched in February 2007. The Ministry of Social Development is providing $1.5 million funding ($500,000 per annum for three years) which will go directly to a local training provider, who will operate and manage the programme.

Training for councillors and community board members

A workshop will be held in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) for politicians, on the rights of young people and the benefits of involving them in the decision making process. This will be the first time this training has been run in New Zealand and officers have been working with MYD and local politicians to develop the content of the workshop.

Young people and safety

Officers from the New Zealand Police presented to the Council's Public Order and Community Safety Committee in June, regarding the extent of the youth gang issue in the western area of the city and in particular Avondale. It was minuted at this meeting that officers continue to work with the Police to identify options to address issues surrounding youth gangs. The Ministry of Social Development are also involved. These issues are complex and to deal with them requires a collaborative approach, with a number of different agencies, the wider community and the young people and their families. A working group has been established in Avondale and Council's Community Advisor for this area is actively involved with this group, supported by Safer Auckland City.

Council is also working on a number of other initiatives that relate to dealing with this issue including supporting a youth development programme at the Lynfield Recreation Centre, the investigation into a youth space at the Wesley Community Centre and the establishment of a Youth Transition Service to transition school leavers into employment and or further training, which is likely to be centred in the western part of the city.

Strengthening internal youth policy network

A network of staff champions exists across the Council, who either work directly with young people in their roles or their group has a key role in the provision of services for young people. Members come from diverse groups within Council such as Auckland City Libraries, Transport Strategy Policy, Utility Planning and Economic Development. During 2006/07, this network will be strengthened to encourage more collaboration and sharing of best practice in the work that Council undertakes. This will include regular meetings, planning sessions, training, sharing budgets and attending and assisting with each other's projects. It will also provide guidance, assistance and support to others in Council, so that we further embrace a strengths based youth development perspective in our work.

Involvement of young people in Auckland Urban Living

Council will build upon the work undertaken in 2005/06 in developing tools and techniques for consulting with secondary school students and young adults, in the Auckland Urban Living project. We are again looking at working with both the Planning and Education Departments at the University of Auckland, utilising the capacity of Council's new Urban Facilitator and linking in with the Auckland regional child and youth network group.

Strong and healthy communities

Policy objectives

A city where young people feel safe and have a sense of wellbeing

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll work towards making sure the spaces and places you hang out in, and the routes you use to get there are safe, feel safe and are accessible	Ensure that safety issues for young people are considered in the development of Council's safety strategy.	Issues identified and considered.
	Work towards incorporating Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles into new and existing building and spaces in the city, which will benefit young people.	CPTED principles incorporated.
	Ensure the views and issues facing young people are taken into account in the implementation of the alcohol strategy.	Issues facing young people and alcohol are understood and taken into account.
We'll encourage an understanding of diversity and help people become more tolerant of differences in gender, lifestyle, ethnicity and culture	Provide opportunities for young people to gain an appreciation of diverse cultures through our sister and friendship cities programme. Includes the Japanese secondary school speech competition.	Appropriate opportunities available and promoted and young people participate.
	Support cultural events including the Lantern Festival, International Cultural Festival, Pasifika, and Diwali.	Events held and young people attend and participate
	Support the co-opting of a young person to Council's new Pacific Island Advisory Board.	Young person co-opted and supported
	Ensure the issues facing young people are considered in Council's interfaith and intercultural city projects.	Views considered and incorporated into both projects.
We'll encourage other groups and agencies to work together, and with us, to make the city safer and crime-free, and to promote your wellbeing.	Work with the New Zealand Police, Ministry of Social Development, other agencies and the community to deal with issues surrounding young people, safety and gangs.	Active collaboration with others.
	Support the international education industry by developing partnerships with the industry and relevant agencies in advocacy and actions.	Contribute funding to Study Auckland, the International Student Service Centre, annual student welcome and education forum.
	Improve the health and wellbeing of young people by reducing drug related harm through the Community Action on Youth and Drugs project team (CAYAD).	Develop and deliver a number of projects
	Strengthen the internal youth policy champions network and encourage staff to take into account the views of young people when working on projects.	Regular meetings held, training provided and increase in collaborative projects.
	Ensure that issues affecting young people are included in the development of a social policy for the city.	Youth issues are captured in the policy.
	Continue to develop tools and techniques for involving secondary and tertiary aged students in Auckland Urban Living projects.	Tools and techniques developed and piloted.
We'll play our part and encourage others, including yourselves, to look after and improve our natural and built environment for our current and future generations	Support Waicare the community based water quality monitoring and action programme.	Facilitator provided and young people participate.
	Encourage young people to take part in the volunteer park, beach, creek and pest care programmes.	Volunteer programme promoted and delivered with young people participating.
	Provide ways for young people to learn about Auckland Zoo including class visits, youth appropriate events and by becoming volunteers.	Young people visit the education centre, attend events and are volunteers.
	Encourage environmental awareness and implement the city's waste management plans.	Young people are involved in waste education.
	Work towards making the heritage festival more youth friendly.	Develop events that are youth friendly and where young people can actively participate.
	Make young people aware of the consequences of tagging, part of Auckland City's zero tolerance on graffiti programme.	Young people are educated, involved in murals and become volunteers.

A city where there is lots for young people to do

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll work towards making places, parks and facilities welcoming and appropriate for your needs so you can get out there and just do it.	Deliver the youth development programme in conjunction with the YMCA, Youthtown and Youthline.	Programme delivered, young people involved and events and activities held.
	Ensue the views of young people are considered in the development of the sport and recreation and open space strategies for the city and the building of new swimming pools in Avondale and Otahuhu.	Views sought and considered.
	Consider the views of young people when upgrading and building new parks, skate facilities and other open spaces.	Skate reference group is supported and young people are consulted in the upgrade of new parks and facilities within them.
We'll organise fun activities across the city and encourage others to do the same	Support and provide teen collections, youth appropriate events and class visits in libraries across the city.	Teen website administered, youth events held and teen reference group at central library established.
	Provide an education programme, youth appropriate events and exhibitions at the Auckland Art Gallery.	High school and tertiary students visit, events and exhibitions held.
	Encourage Mainstreets (town centres) and Business Associations to involve young people in their events and festivals.	Relevant events held and young people participate.
	Increase physical activity levels for young people by developing new programmes and activities in and around Council owned activities, as part of the AkActive programme.	Programmes and activities developed that young people relate to and participate in.
	Support and develop events that appeal to young people, including dancing in the streets and summer in parks music events.	Events developed and held and well attended by young people.
We'll encourage you to take up opportunities to participate in your local communities	Run the converse youth forum where high school students can come together to discuss and explore issues relevant to them and in an environment they can relate too.	Event held, information captured and follow up sessions supported.
	Support young people to come together and discuss topical issues at events, including the Digital Earth Summit, Untouched World Sustainable Cities programme and Voice of Ethnic Youth forum.	Events held and young people involved.

Effective transport

Policy objectives

A city where young people can move around the city safely

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll encourage and implement safe transport routes for all young people, whether you're walking, cycling, driving or using public transport	Run and support transport safety education events for young people.	Pedestrian safety workshop for international students held and support given to highschools involved in Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD).

A city where young people can use public transport to get where they want to go

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll advocate for public transport systems that don't leave your pockets empty and that reach lots more people	Advocate for an integrated ticketing system and improvements between different passenger transport services, which will directly benefit young people.	Advocate and participate in ongoing discussions.
We'll implement public transport infrastructure	Continue to implement bus priority measures, facilities and real time information on major arterial roads, and the provision of sheltered bus stops, which will directly benefit young people.	Bus services improved
We'll implement public transport infrastructure	Improve, expand and promote walkways and cycleways, particularly in growth areas, to and from mainstreets (town centres), schools and the university.	Cycleways and walkways improved and expanded

Celebrating and recognising diversity

A city where young people can express themselves culturally and artistically

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll provide opportunities for you to 'show your stuff' and display your talents, from exhibiting art to playing live music	Give young people a voice through the creative expression and performance workshops in the RAW arts programme.	Workshops held in a number of locations across the city.
	Provide, support and develop opportunities with others for young people to participate in events.	Partnerships developed with creative industries and young people participate.

Auckland leadership

A city where Auckland City Council respects, values and listens to its young people

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll provide more ways for you to join in with, and communicate about, local government decision-making and projects	Ensure the views and issues affecting young people are considered in the development of the economic development strategy for the city.	Views and issues sought and considered.
	Encourage and educate young people about how to get involved in the democratic process, through civics based education.	Annual plan youth forum held and civic education developed.
	Create opportunities for old and young to engage in positive interactions in the generation project, where young people learn research skills and interview community icons.	Number of interviews completed and recorded.
	Appropriately consult with young people on the need for a youth space at the Wesley Community Centre.	Young peoples views captured in a youth appropriate way.
	Consult with young people in the development of Liveable Community Plans in Otahuhu, Ellerslie, Sylvia Park and Mt Albert.	Youth appropriate consultation methods are used.
We'll support the Auckland City Youth Council (ACYC), a group of young people from all over the city who act as advocates for other young people and the issues affecting them	Provide developmental training, support in running projects and in advocating for the needs of young people in the city.	Training held, projects successfully run and profile raised.
We'll take up and create opportunities to promote positive images of young people to the media and the rest of the community.	Promote positive messages, images and perceptions of young people throughout the year, in cityscene, news releases and other media.	Positive stories run across the range of youth projects.
	Hold training for Councillors and Community Board members on the rights of young people and the benefits in involving them in the decision making process.	Training developed and held.
	Host the annual graduation ceremony for industry based cadets.	Ceremony held and achievements celebrated.

A city committed to providing services that young people need

Policy strategy	Key actions	Performance indicators
We'll work to make sure our services appropriately meet a wide range of youth needs	Attend relevant conferences, seminars, training and workshops and report back to others.	Attendance at training and conferences, including the Youth in Local Government Conference.
	Co-ordinate the Auckland City youth workers network through an email newsgroup and regular meetings.	Network meetings held and information distributed.
	Work with other agencies including the Ministry of Youth Development, Office of Children's Commissioner, Human Rights Commission and Ministry of Education, to develop partnerships and advocate for young people.	Number of collaborative initiatives and advocacy done.
	Support the pathways to employment expo that encourages school leavers into trades based training and employment.	Funding given and workshops run and supported.
	Develop a youth profile for the city, incorporating a wide range of information including the new census statistics.	Profile developed and promoted.
	Continue the strategic review for issues and trends for young people in the city.	Strategic review completed, information distributed and acted upon.
We'll encourage other groups and organisations to work together, and with us, so you have access to a range of services to meet your needs	Encourage community centres to get young people through the centre door by running appropriate programmes and events.	Relevant programmes held for young people
	Promote and raise awareness of Auckland City's youth policy and action plan with stakeholders.	Celebration of 2006/07 achievements held and reported.
	Actively contribute to the Auckland regional youth (and child) network and advocate for and work on joint sustainable development projects for young people	Attend network meetings and collaborate on projects.
	Investigate the development of a cadetship programme in partnership with private enterprise.	Programme investigated and implementation began.
	Work with the Ministry of Social Development to implement a three year Youth Transition Service for Auckland City.	Service launched and delivery begun.
	Support services and programmes for young people through Community board local funding, small local improvement project funding (SLiPs) the community group assistance fund, community group accommodation fund, local event funding and the creative community fund.	Funding given to youth groups and programmes.
We'll look for ways for you to easily and quickly get your hands on information about youth services and activities	Develop the Auckland City's Youth Council's website to raise awareness of youth issues and encourage young people to have their say about issues affecting them in the city.	Website updated and enhanced.
	Promote youth events through Ak@play, on council's website, through texting, city scene, summer events programme and other media.	Information promoted and available.
	Develop targeted information on how young people can volunteer and get involved in their community.	Appropriate information developed and distributed.