Youth Committee

YOUTH VOICE SURVEY 202 5

Youth Voice Hunter 2025 is the flagship biennial publication of the Youth Committee for the Hunter.

The report was officially launched on Thursday 11 December 2025, by the Hon. Jenny Aitchison, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads and Member for Maitland and University of Newcastle Vice Chancellor and President, Alex Zelinsky AO FAA.

Young people across the Hunter have shared what matters most to them.

Their top priorities include:
⭐Cost of living and financial security
⭐Housing access and affordability
⭐Climate change
⭐Access to mental health services
⭐Crime, violence and safety

Young people – their ideas, ingenuity and enterprise – are the region’s most valuable resource in the new economy. It will be the young people of the Hunter who will reap the long-term benefits or consequences of decisions made today.

If you want to understand the issues shaping the future of our region – directly from young people themselves – you can read the report below.

READ REPORT

Meet our Youth Committee

The 2025 Youth Committee brings together passionate young leaders from across the Greater Hunter region, representing a cross section of our ten Local Government Areas (LGAs). Our aim is to ensure a strong, balanced representation that reflects the diversity of our communities and drives positive change for the region’s future.

Dylan Shoesmith – Lake Mac

Myles Egan – Singleton

Rachel Williams – Lake Mac

Matthew Collins – Maitland

James Maroney – Cessnock

Jaslyn Arens – Cessnock

Evie Nguyen – Newcastle

Why a Youth Committee for the Hunter?

The Youth Committee for the Hunter is an advocacy body for people aged 18–35 living in the Hunter. Up to 13 young people are represented on the Youth Committee, drawn from the ten Local Government Areas (LGAs) that make up the Greater Hunter region, and representing a diverse range of communities and interests.

The Youth Committee was established to deliver on the Committee for the Hunter’s (the Committee) commitment to the Youth Employment Charter , a COVID initiative.

In accordance with the Charter, the Committee pledged to maintain and expand opportunities for young people in the region in five areas around employment, professional development, consultation, mentoring and celebrating the important role of young people in the Hunter economy. The Youth Committee has since established itself as a valuable and enduring mechanism for engagement with young people in the Greater Hunter and advocacy on the issues important to them, including advice to government.

Young people are the region’s most valuable resource. We want to ensure their voices are listened to and that leaders are focused on the issues that matter to them.

The Youth Committee is increasingly the go-to for advice on significant youth matters in the region.

What does the Youth Committee do?

The Youth Committee discusses, agrees and makes recommendations to the Committee CEO and Board on priorities for young people in the Hunter region and the advocacy the Committee can take on these areas.

It provides an essential conduit for advice between young people, their issues and priorities and the Committee Board, CEO, members and stakeholders including governments.

This advice is not tokenistic. A member of the Youth Committee is appointed as Director to the Committee for the Hunter Board, ensuring a strong role for young people in Company decision-making and opportunities for professional development. Our Board is committed to empowering young people to become the leaders our region needs.

The Youth Committee run and publish a Youth Voice Hunte r survey every two years, and collaborate on evidence-based advocacy reports like the Going Places report which was launched with the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads.

Youth Committee members have, with coaching and support, also taken up media opportunities to promote their work and support public discussion and debate on the issues facing young people in the Hunter.

Going Places - Transport and Accessibility for young people in the Hunter

Key Themes of the Report:

Transport Links Us to Places, Opportunities, and One Another: Transport determines where we live, learn, work, and socialise. For young people in the Hunter, it is a key determinant of life outcomes.
Safe, Reliable, Accessible, and Frequent Public Transport: Far from being a matter of convenience, access to public transport enables young people to learn, work, play, and thrive in their home region.
Geographical and Experiential Diversity: The Hunter’s diverse geography, from the Barrington hinterland to Newcastle’s sprawling suburbs, mirrors the diverse experiences and needs of our young residents.

We are pleased to share the results of this report with government, regional leaders, stakeholders and communities to help give young people a louder voice and a bigger role in shaping the Hunter’s future.