This page contains an overview of the youth sector in Whangarei and the ways in which Council both engages with and works towards supporting youth.
Updated:
16/05/2012 3:52 p.m.
Youth Advisory Group
We will shortly be implementing a Youth Advisory Group. The purpose of this group is to engage a wide ranging representation of young people in the district to help us make it a great place for young people to live and work in.
The group will meet monthly and will provide us with a bona fide youth perspective on issues affecting the Whangarei district.
We are seeking representatives for the Youth Advisory Group who are aged 15-20 and who live in the Whangarei district. Those who apply will be short listed and will then have a short interview.
Selection will then be made by Council and community representatives in the youth field. We are looking for people who:
- are team players
- show initiative
- have great ideas
- want to assist us to create a sense of place in Whangarei that they identify with.
Terms of Reference for the group and a description of the position can be viewed by following the links below.
Youth Advisory Group Terms of Reference [450kb]
Position description [349kb]
If you are interested in being a representative, please fill in an application form by selecting from the links below.
Online application form
Printable application form [282kb]
To complete the printable form:
- save it to your computer, fill it in and email it to us, OR
- print the form, complete it by hand and post it to us.
Please make sure your application reaches us by 4pm on Friday 25 May 2012.
Youth in Whangarei
The 2006 Census put the total population of the Whangarei District at about 74,500 people with almost 12,000 (16%) being in the 10 – 19 years age group.
In common with the Far North and Kaipara districts, we lose a significant proportion of our young people every year to larger metropolitan areas such as Auckland.
This is part of a long-standing province to urban centre drift that is a national (and international) trend.
Facilities and services for youth
Council's provision of youth-related facilities and services is mostly concentrated in the city and urban areas. These are the places where many youth from across the district gather to meet and socialise.
Facilities provided across the district automatically benefit youth as part of the wider community.
- sports fields
- museums
- Forum North facilities
- parks, reserves, open spaces
- mobility car parks
- access to beaches
- safety and lighting
- public conveniences
- community halls
- inner city improvements.
Other Council initiatives include providing community funding and liaising with other agencies to support youth activities in the district. We also provide training, development and paid work experience for young people aged 17 - 24 through our Cadet Programme and Scholarship Programme.
For further information about these programmes, follow the link below.
Youth Policy
Our Youth Policy provides guidelines for the setting of priorities, and the development of plans with regards to youth, and has been developed around the following objective:
"Recognise the special place of youth in the community; take a proactive role in supporting community youth initiatives, and act in a manner sensitive to the needs of our youth in whom the future of the Whangarei District rests".
The following conditions have been identified as important for creating a supportive environment for youth:
- low crime
- low unemployment
- a safe and healthy city
- a clean and attractive environment.
- a supportive community
- young people and adults working in partnership
- youth with a positive self image.
By adopting a Youth Policy, we are taking steps towards supporting the district’s youth, their families and whanau.
Follow the link below to view a summary and the full version of the policy.
Youth Policy