In late August, Youth Net-work of Tasmania (YNOT) and Brand Tasmania released findings from the Tasmanian Youth Story project, which set out to capture the unique experiences of young people aged 18-25 living in Tasmania – the good and the bad.

Participants were invited to attend statewide sessions, including in Bridgewater. They were guided through 16 questions and encouraged to share their personal experiences, ideas and opinions about living in Tasmania. The findings from the Tasmanian Youth Story project report revealed that many young people want to get involved and help solve Tasmania’s problems, however many felt frustrated that their voices as young people were treated as less informed, relevant, or balanced than voices from older generations.

Young people understand what our communities are facing, feel the impact of missteps, and want to be part of future opportunities in Tasmania. It also highlighted how important it is to help young people have a say at the local government level and that more effort is needed to ensure young people’s concerns and ideas are heard and taken seriously.

Brand Tasmania CEO Todd Babiak said, “We were thrilled to partner with YNOT to uncover the Tasmanian Youth Story. There were surprises, challenges, and hope in what we heard. Now it’s up to all of us to invite young people to take leadership roles in the next stages of our state’s growth.”

To learn more about the Tasmanian Youth Story project or to view the full report, head to www.tasmanian.com.au/youth-story.