Youth Minister's Advisory Council

Update as at 11 September 2025

The second Youth Minister’s Advisory Council meeting for 2025 was held on 11 September 2025.

The Minister for Human Services discussed recent milestones including the launch of the State Disability Inclusion Plan 2025 to 2029, her engagement with various regional communities (including through Country Cabinet), the importance of civic participation for young people, and the ongoing work occurring in response to the algae bloom.

The Council discussed the value of young people being able to have their say in Youth Advisory Councils, and the mechanisms that promote participation, with members sharing their experiences participating in Local, State and Federal Government advisory groups. They suggested that the promotion of these advisory groups must be broad and adapt to the social media ban, and that a mechanism for Councils to share learnings may be beneficial.

Third spaces – spaces outside of the home or workplace where people can socialise – were also discussed by the Council, with members raising the importance of ensuring accessible, affordable third spaces are available for people of all ages throughout South Australia. Failure to have adequate third spaces for young people was recognised as a risk factor that will worsen young people's experiences of loneliness and social isolation.

Council members shared feedback to help inform planning for the 2026 SA Youth Week and reflected on ideas for future meetings.

The Council will next meet on 20 November 2025.

Update as at 12 June 2025

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council (Council) met for the first meeting of the new Term on 12 June 2025.  The Council met with representatives from the Multicultural Education and Languages Committee from the Department for Education to discuss language learning in South Australia, and members from the Department for Education to discuss legislative reform to address school non-attendance and implement the recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission.

The Council had a discussion with the Multicultural Education and Languages Committee around the reasons why young people learn languages as well as the supports needed to continue to learn languages. Members discussed the importance of preserving Aboriginal and multicultural languages alongside learning English. The need was also identified for accessible language learning, including sign language.

The Council also had a discussion with the Department for Education around non-attendance at school as the Department is strengthening legislation to address chronic non-attendance and empower schools with better tools. Members raised the need for flexibility in learning, and the importance of considerations for mental health, as well as online learning options.

The Council also spoke with the Department for Education around what changes could occur to education based on the recommendations in the Disability Royal Commission. Members pressed the importance of practical means of preventing schools being able to disguise unlawful discrimination with other reasoning for denying a young person enrolment. The importance of training and investment for teachers and schools was discussed, as well as addressing stigma and cultural sensitivity around disability. Members raised questions about how quickly changes can be implemented and who will have oversight to make sure they are enforced.

The Council then reflected on the first meeting and discussed the best ways to ensure their views were being listened to and can be most impactful.

Update as at 7 November 2024

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council met for the 4^th quarterly meeting on 7 November 2024. Along with meeting with the Minister, the Council met with the Royal Commissioner for Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence, Natasha Stott Despoja AO and Executive Director Kim Eldridge, and received updates on the development of the Youth Action Plan and the 2025 SA Youth Week launch.

The Council had an honest and open discussion with the Royal Commissioner on the impact of family, domestic and sexual violence (FDS) on young people. The Council agreed that a proactive approach should be taken in education for young people with respectful relationship programs will be explored as possible initiatives. The intergenerational trauma and disproportionate rates of FDS violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women especially in regional and remote areas, as well as against people with disability, was also recognised by the Council. The Council thanked the Royal Commissioner for her attendance.

The Council received an update from the Minister on range of recent activities, including the SA Youth Week grants, the National Disability Ministers Meeting, public transport, and the proposed social media ban. The Council also enjoyed learning what the day in the life of a Minister looks like.

The Council received an update from the Department of Human Services on the progress of the new Youth Action Plan, with Council members being able to review the final draft Plan before its launch in 2025. The Department of Human Services also updated the Council on the SA Youth Week launch event to be held in April 2025, with Council members asked to participate with advice and planning for the event.

This was the final meeting of the current term of the Council, with Council members encouraged to reapply for their roles for the next two-year term.

Update as at 5 September 2024

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council met for the 3rd quarterly meeting on 5 September 2024. Along with meeting with the Minister, the Council discussed the next phases of the Youth Action Plan, planning for the 2025 SA Youth Week and Deepfakes legislation.

The Council discussed the government’s proposed social media restrictions for young people and advised the Minister of their support for social media being regulated for the safety of young people.  However, they expressed their concerns with the proposal, including:

• Concerns that a ban on social media will create more barriers to socialisation for young people living regionally and remotely.
• Impacts on young entrepreneurs who will not be able to effectively operate and market their business without access to social media.
• Concerns regarding parental permission needed for young people to use social media, as this could provide another barrier for young people who have difficult home lives and can’t rely on parents or guardians to provide access or permission.

Council members are going to be attending a social media summit in Adelaide on 11 October and are eager to participate in the upcoming consultation on the ban.

The Department for Human Services (DHS) provided an update on the development on the Youth Action Plan and potential future roles for Council members in the implementation of the plan. DHS also sought advice from the Council on what they would like to see at the 2025 SA Youth Week launch. Members were also advised of the opportunities available to them to help them plan the event as well as partake in the Youth Week Grant assessment process.

The Minister asked the Council to provide feedback on the Deepfakes discussion paper developed by the Attorney-General’s Department. The Council believes that Deepfakes need to be regulated to prevent young people from being exploited, defamed, and blackmailed. They believe an effective way to try and regulate Deepfakes would be through a regulatory body which uses AI and algorithms to detect Deepfake material.

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council will meet for the final meeting of their term on 7 November 2024.

Update as at 8 November 2023

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council met for their 4th Quarter Meeting on Wednesday 8 November 2023. Along with meeting with Minister Nat Cook, the Council met with Karen Hunt from Department for Innovation, Industry and Science (DIIS) to discuss the new Adelaide University and with the Concessions team in DHS to learn about the review that is currently being undertaken.

The Council discussed a wide range of topics with the Minister including, their forward agenda for 2024, Voice Referendum result, youth homelessness, and the impacts of short-form content on children and young people.

Queries the Council raised in their previous meeting in relation to the new university were addressed in their discussion with Karen Hunt from DIIS. The Council learned about how universities are created through legislation, how the creation of the new university will impact current university students and graduate outcomes in the future.

Staff from Concessions in DHS provided an overview of what they have found in the review of the 22 available concessions that may affect young people. The Council advised that there are school-leavers and young people who are not aware of Youth Allowance and Concessions available to them and suggested further awareness raising and education is required.

The Council was given an update on the development of the SA Youth Action Plan and some of the key findings of the consultation.  The Council will be provided with the full consultation report and involved in the further development of this Plan.

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council will next meet in 2024.

Update as at 6 September 2023

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council met for their third quarterly meeting on Wednesday 6 September 2023. The Council met with the Minister of Human Services and with the Assistant Minister for Autism, Hon Emily Bourke MLC.

The Assistant Minister informed the Council about the establishment and functions of her role and the Office for Autism.

The Council discussed multiple issues with both the Minister and the Assistant Minister, such as their concerns over the University merger and housing for young people. When discussing the University merger, the Council questioned how many current students supported the merger and expressed concerns over the change in campus culture and requested a further update on the merger and answers to specific questions at their next meeting. The Council discussed financial assistance options to help young people become homeowners and housing developments in the outer metropolitan area.

The Council provided feedback on the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 review and the ‘Keeping Our Promises’ report from the Commissioner for Children and Young People. The Council expressed deep concern over the shortcomings highlighted in ‘Keeping Our Promises’ and in particular, the increase in exclusionary and absentee rates among school students. The Council expressed support of the reforms to stop rent bidding as this puts vulnerable people at further disadvantage and it welcomed reforms to allow renting with pets.

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council will meet again in November 2023.

Update as at 8 June 2023

The Youth Minister’s Advisory Council met for their second quarterly meeting on Thursday 8 June 2023. Along with meeting with the Minister, the Council received an update from a representative of the National Office for Youth and participated in a workshop to help develop South Australia’s new Youth Action Plan 2023-26.

The Council heard about the establishment, functions, objectives and current areas of focus for the Office for Youth. Council members were encouraged to participate in upcoming engagement opportunities being run by the Office for Youth, to highlight issues of importance to South Australian young people and to inform the development of a national youth engagement model. Further information about the Office for Youth is available.

Members discussed a range of issues with the Minister, including the importance of affordable housing for young people, domestic and family violence supports and financial barriers for young people undertaking student placements and work experience. The Minister expressed her commitment to tackling the issues facing young people and that affordable housing is a priority for the State Government, while acknowledging that the creation of new housing stock takes time. The Minister also highlighted the opportunity for Council members to provide input to the current review of the Residential Tenancies Act 1995.

The Council provided their view on priorities for the new Youth Action Plan 2023-26, across the areas of health, safety and justice, education and employment, connection and access to resources, and citizenship and participation. Community members are welcome to have their say on the new Youth Action Plan via YourSAy until 6 August - South Australia’s Youth Action Plan 2023-2026 | YourSAy

The Council next meets in September 2023.