The Youth Steering Committee is a group of young people aged 12 to 25. They come from every state and territory. They represent the diversity of Australian communities.
The committee works with the Office for Youth (that’s us!) and the Minister for Youth, the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP.
Members give advice on government policies and programs that impact young people.
Members
The current committee is made up of 14 members. The committee members were announced by the Minister for Youth, the Hon Dr Anne Aly.
Meet them here:
Armani from the Northern Territory
Armani is an Arrernte, Torres Strait Islander, and Mauritian advocate from Alice Springs, known for her impactful work in Indigenous rights and youth empowerment. She is actively involved in the Strong Women Healthy Country Network, where she collaborates with her grandmothers and female rangers to preserve traditional knowledge and tackle social issues.
As a Hands on Heart Youth ambassador and Canteen Australia ambassador, Armani advocates for Indigenous communities and supports youth facing cancer. She mentors young leaders in the Northern Territory Youth Parliament and influences policy as a member of the Central Australian Round Table.
Armani also excels in sports as a Senior Pinktail in footy and is passionate about the performing arts. Armani aspires to study law, psychology or social science, and is committed to advancing her advocacy and making a lasting impact on her community.
Billie from South Australia
Billie lives in Renmark, South Australia, and is studying a Bachelor of Social Work. She joined the committee because she wants to put a spotlight on rural youth issues, particularly in regard to the decreased and unfair experiences and disadvantage that young people are dealt with in rural areas.
As a part of her membership, she would love to achieve a life that is easier for young people in rural areas of Australia by expanding equitable access to health services and further education opportunities including university. She wants young people to thrive in rural areas, having enough food to eat and somewhere safe to live.
Her involvement in the Australian Government Youth Steering Committee has sparked a passion for public and social policy with the focus of being an advocate for rural young people and hopes that Engage! will ensure that the voices of young people are heard.
Brodie from Western Australia
Brodie lives in Perth, Western Australia. Locally, he supported the development of the Melville Youth Collective, which supports the interests and concerns of young people in and around the City of Melville.
His initial involvement in the Australian Government Youth Steering Committee stemmed from his passion for public policy. In particular, Brodie is keen to explore bettering Australia’s mental health, employment, and education sectors.
Brodie believes that the Youth Steering Committee will continue to work effectively with government to enhance the lives of young people across Australia. He is keen to work through the implementation of the government’s Youth Engagement Model.
Caleb from New South Wales
Caleb is a high school student from Lismore, a regional disaster-affected community in Northern Nwe South Wales. The Northern Rivers region is still recovering from the devastating floods of 2022, which have impacted the whole community, especially young people. Caleb is passionate about climate change, youth voices being heard and increasing opportunities for regional and rural youth. Caleb plays soccer with an academy and loves watching sport. His other interests include reading, bodyboarding, hiking and hanging out with mates.
Caleb joined the Youth Steering Committee to represent young people of the Northern Rivers and support the implementation of the Engage! strategy. He feels privileged to have the opportunity to be a voice and connect young people and the government on issues that matter. Caleb hopes that Engage! can create positive change for young people.
Charlotte from the Australian Capital Territory
Charlotte is an undergraduate student at the Australian National University. She is studying a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours), majoring in astronomy and astrophysics. Charlotte hopes to later get her Masters in Primary Education to help future generations flourish.
Despite living in the landlocked capital, Charlotte loves visiting creeks, waterfalls and going to the beach. When she is not studying, she often spends time with friends and travelling around Australia.
Charlotte joined the committee as a way of paying her successes forward, to help inspire and empower other young people. She is passionate about being a voice for other First Nations people and disabled youth. Charlotte is excited to work alongside the other committee members to shape a stronger voice in parliament for Australia’s youth.
Donella from the Northern Territory
Donella is a proud Larrika young woman from the Northern Territory. She has recently finished her Diploma in Business and is now studying a Diploma in Leadership and Management. Her interests include health and fitness, spending time with her family, and listening to podcasts.
Donella highlights the importance of empowering our youth as they are the future leaders and decision-makers of our country. She is honoured to be a part of the Youth Steering Committee to contribute to the Youth Engagement Model and to help the Australian Government implement policies and programs that achieve impactful change for young people and for future generations to come.
Emily from Queensland
Emily lives on Yugambeh country in Logan City and is an undergraduate student studying a Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning. She has a keen interest in community development and exploring the concept of sustainability and inclusion. Emily is an avid Taylor Swift listener and enjoys observing nature around her.
Emily is excited to advocate, collaborate and share her ideas with the Youth Steering Committee and the Australian Government. As a great believer in the power of the youth voice, she wants to ensure that the delivery of Engage! is youth led and that the impact of the strategy can benefit all young people living in Australia.
Isabel from Tasmania
Isabel lives on Muwinina Country in Hobart. She has a strong interest in advocating for the participation of young people in decision-making and has a particular focus on improving quality and access of formal and informal education opportunities. She is a year 11 student, and loves maths, science, netball and politics.
Isabel joined the committee out of a desire to represent the voices of young Australians. She is passionate about genuinely listening to and learning from stakeholders, to better represent a diverse range of perspectives. Isabel is passionate about ensuring that young people are given the opportunity to co-design educational, civic and social engagement opportunities, to ensure they are relevant, meaningful and accessible.
Isabella from South Australia
Isabella is a South Australian passionate about intersectional environmentalism and the power of storytelling for climate justice. She is often found playing or coaching beach volleyball or embarking on her next travel adventure.
Having recently completed a Bachelor of Environmental Policy and Management, Isabella joined the committee to advocate for the environment and the communities disproportionately affected by climate change. She hopes the committee continues to engage a diverse range of young people, and that the government values their lived experiences and perspectives in policy decisions.
Jet from Tasmania
Jet is a young person from the North-West Coast of Tasmania, who is passionate about social justice, the arts, and supporting diversity. He hopes to bring about change for young people, particularly those in rural and regional areas through representation, and encouraging young people to use their own voices. As a proud member of the queer community, they hope to contribute to diversity in youth engagement spaces by helping to build a safe, collaborative environment.
Jet joined the Committee because he is passionate about ensuring that youth are empowered to engage with governments and organisations in their decision-making, with a particular focus on how this will deliver real, meaningful change.
Rachel from Victoria
Rachel is a Youth Award winner, Projects Coordinator and Youth Advocate, dedicated to enhancing youth engagement and opportunities in regional and rural communities.
As a Youth Advisor for the National Youth Employment Body, Rachel brings invaluable insights and experience in youth advocacy and project management. She leads initiatives multiple projects and program across the southwest region.
Rachel is strategic, resilient and passionate in her endeavour to promote and advocate for the voices of young people, ensuring their perspectives shape impactful policies and programs nationwide.
Ruben from Western Australia
Ruben is the youngest member of the Youth Steering Committee. He was born in Melbourne but has lived in Perth, Western Australia for the past 5 years.
Ruben shines as a middle school leader, speaking confidently in front of his peers with his open and honest communication style. He shows his true self while engaging in his community, encouraging others to have the confidence to share their own stories and have their voices heard.
His lived experience with severe tic disorder has given him resilience, compassion, and empathy. Ruben is looking forward to connecting with people from different backgrounds and having a fun time making a difference to the youth of Australia.
Sebastian from Queensland
Sebastian is a young Queenslander based in Brisbane. He is a science student at the University of Queensland and is passionate about including autistic and young people in government decision making. He believes that when government and young people work together real progress can be made.
Sebastian participated in the development of Engage! as an inaugural member of the Youth Steering Committee and is delighted to participate in the implementation of ‘Engage!’. He also sits on the Oversight Council of the National Autism Strategy.
In his spare time Sebastian represents Australia and Queensland in Bridge, which he is a National Master. Sebastian is an avid fan of Star Wars and Lego and is deeply interested in politics.
Taihan from Victoria
Taihan lives with his parents and little brother in Melbourne. His favourite hobbies are playing and watching sports and games with friends and getting involved in community events and fundraisers.
He enjoys getting to know how things work and creating connections with others to help solve the problems that affect the community. Coming from a migrant background, he understands the importance of making connections with other cultures. He has made presentations to his class during Ramadan and Eid to share his knowledge, small gifts and food. He believes that the more we know about each other and our differences, the more widely and better we can embrace what makes us unique. That’s one of the reasons why he joined this committee to make a difference.
Activities
- The new committee was appointed and announced by the Minister for Youth.
- The committee attended an online orientation with the Office for Youth and the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition to meet each other, learn more about working with government and learn more about their role as members of the committee.
- The committee met in Canberra for their first in-person meeting. Members met with the Minister for Youth to discuss their role and workplan for the next 12 months. They also met with Minister for Communications and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to discuss the Age Assurance Trial. They met with the Office for Youth and Australian Youth Affairs Coalition to start working on implementation of Engage!.
- Continuing committee members attended a workshop on the Youth Engagement Toolkit facilitated by the Young and Resilient Research Centre.
- Two committee members were interviewed by the National Children’s Commissioner for a video to be played at a symposium in Taiwan.
Committee members attended a drop-in session with the Office for Youth about the digital youth hub.
- Two committee members attended the NSW Youth Summit.
Past committees
| Year | Focus area | Members |
| 2022-2024 | The 2023—24 Youth Steering Committee members played a critical role in the development and launch of the youth engagement strategy Engage! |
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