Youth Voice Engagement Report
Overview
The Youth Voice Engagement Report documents the national co-design process led by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children to establish a strong, culturally grounded and community-led Youth Voice initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Developed through extensive engagement between February and June 2025, the report details the insights and lived experiences of more than 150 individuals, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, Elders, ACCOs, community leaders, non-government organisations and Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates across Australia. Consultations were undertaken across 13 remote, regional and urban locations through in-person consultations, workshops, youth gatherings, online meetings and written submissions.
At the heart of the report is a clear message from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and communities: existing systems too often engage young people in tokenistic or advisory-only ways, without genuine power-sharing or accountability. Participants consistently called for a Youth Voice model that is action-oriented, youth-led and grounded in culture, self-determination and community authority. Young people stressed the importance of creating safe and flexible pathways for participation, particularly for those with lived experience of government systems, while ensuring engagement processes are culturally safe, trauma-aware and responsive to local contexts.
The report highlights several key priorities identified through the engagement process, including:
- authentic youth representation and inclusive governance structures,
- flexible and accessible participation pathways,
- strong accountability and transparency mechanisms,
- long-term sustainability beyond government funding cycles,
- meaningful relationships with governments that enable young people to directly influence reform and advocacy, and
- investment in mentoring, leadership development and wellbeing supports for young people.
A significant focus of the report is the importance of designing a model that reflects the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people’s experiences across communities. Participants emphasised that engagement must not be limited to formal structures or established leaders alone but must actively create opportunities for young people who are often excluded from decision-making spaces. Insights from the engagement process directly informed the development of SNAICC’s proposed Youth Voice framework, which has been formally endorsed by the SNAICC Board and Council.
The endorsed model includes:
- a Youth Voice Sub-Committee to the SNAICC Council with representation from all jurisdictions,
- jurisdictional youth networks connecting local and regional voices to national advocacy,
- ambassador roles to elevate young leaders and strengthen engagement in major reform discussions, and
- annual national youth gatherings to identify priorities and strengthen collaboration across communities.
Importantly, the report positions culture as the foundation of the Youth Voice initiative. Across all engagements, participants emphasised that cultural identity, connection to community and cultural safety are central to the wellbeing, empowerment and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The report also details that meaningful youth participation requires long-term investment, reciprocal relationships and structures that evolve alongside the aspirations of young people themselves.
The Youth Voice Engagement Report sets out a community-led and culturally grounded framework to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people’s voices are embedded in SNAICC – National Voice for our Children’s governance, advocacy and national reform work.