Canterbury-Bankstown is home to around 65,000 young people aged 12 to 24. Young people are a valuable part of our community and contribute to our City in a range of ways, including as active members of local community, cultural, creative and sporting groups and as volunteers, students and workers.

The Youth Action Plan is underpinned by our Community Strategic Plan: CBCity 2036, which outlines a vision for the future of our City as Thriving, Dynamic and Real. The Youth Action Plan is structured around objectives that contribute to building the resilience of young people and improving their connection to the City. Young people are not only our City’s future, but also our present, and it is important that we have a plan that supports them to reach their full potential and reflects their needs, priorities and ambitions as our City continues to grow and change.

The Youth Action Plan 2020-24 led to the following initiatives and more:

Safety

• Twilight Sports program
• Anti-bullying workshops
• Child protection online workshops
• Love Bites (healthy relationships) workshops

Health

• Youth services information kit
• Children and Families resource kit
• Canterbury-Bankstown Domestic Violence Service Directory
• Mental health directory

Education

• Belmore Youth Resource Centre (BYRC) open days
• Children & Family Expo
• Family visits to Western Sydney University, Bankstown City Campus
• Youth Futures Pathways Expo

Services and programs

Delivering programs, services and activities that respond to the needs of young people

• Coordinating, promoting and supporting existing services to reach more young people as the population grows
• Delivering affordable programs and services in public spaces and community facilities across Canterbury-Bankstown, from parks and libraries to schools and pop-up events
• Celebrating the stories of local young people, including creative and cultural participation, academic achievements and sporting excellence
• Offering affordable facilities, programs, activities and transport options

Youth friendly places and spaces

Creating welcoming, inclusive and safe public places for young people throughout our City

• Offering a range of public places for young people throughout our City, including the public domain in town centres, youth recreation areas and youth-friendly new housing, as well as access to technology in public spaces
• Increasing safety in public spaces, including addressing safety for women, and improving relationships with police

Health and wellbeing

Improving physical and mental health outcomes for young people

• Improving health and wellbeing outcomes, including reducing alcohol and other drug use and encouraging healthy living
• Educating young people about healthy relationships
• Improving youth mental health outcomes, including promoting services, addressing stigma and empowering young people to seek help

Education and employment

Supporting young peoples’ success and wellbeing, and building education, training and employment opportunities

• Supporting students’ success and wellbeing throughout their studies
• Helping young people access employment, including work experience and help with applications
• Making information about life after school available, including options for early school leavers and information about tertiary education and careers
• Educating young people for the future, including financial literacy and technology skills such as coding

Cultural diversity

Celebrating the unique cultural diversity of our City and support for challenges, including racism and discrimination

• Helping young people to manage intergenerational relationships and family cultural expectations
• Addressing racism and discrimination and celebrating the diversity of young people in our City
• Supporting recently arrived young people, including students, refugees and people seeking asylum

Civic participation

Building capacity for young people to participate in the decisions that affect them

• Offering meaningful and engaging opportunities for all young people to be involved in decision making, including co-design of youth spaces and services and around sustainability issues
• Supporting volunteering

Inclusion

Providing equitable and inclusive access to facilities, services and programs for young people in our City

• Supporting young people living with disability and young carers
• Creating a more inclusive environment and supporting LGBTQI+ young people
• Building a better understanding of issues affecting young people, including domestic violence and homelessness