On this page
- About the Voices for Tasmanian Youth
- VTY outputs
- VTY launch event
- A Mountain of Voices
- On the Record
- Objectives
- VTY identity and culture
About the Voices for Tasmanian Youth
During 2024, the Commissioner for Children and Young People established a Consultative Council which named itself the Voices for Tasmanian Youth (VTY).
The VTY comprised 19 children and young people aged 10 to 18, representing diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences from communities across Tasmania. Its primary purpose was to ensure that children and young people participated in, and had their voices heard during the development of the Tasmanian Government’s Change for Children Strategy.
During Stage One of their work, the VTY was supported to produce a series of original outputs and content, highlighted below, including:
- a written report, highlighting the Council’s vision for a safer Tasmania and presenting key recommendations and actions
- a social media advocacy and awareness-raising campaign
- events and in-person meetings with a range of key decision-makers
- an interactive, creative piece of work produced in collaboration with Tasmanian creative arts and theatre organisation, Terrapin.
During Stage Two, a smaller group of older members of the VTY worked to publish a second report, Messages for Change: Our Perspectives on Change for Children. This report responded to how the group’s 5 key messages had been incorporated into the Change for Children Strategy.
During Stage Three, a small group of VTY members developed a communications checklist, titled Communicate with us, not at us!, designed to support government communications professionals and others responsible for preparing communications for children and young people. This resource was also informed by a broader survey of Tasmanian children and young people.
VTY outputs
Speaking Out for a Safer Tomorrow: Our Messages for Change – Report
Speaking Out for a Safer Tomorrow: Our Messages for Change – Child Friendly Version
Messages for Change: Our Perspectives on Change for Children – Report
Communicate with us, not at us! – A checklist for more effective communications with children and young people
VTY launch event
On 12 July 2024, the VTY staged a media launch in Launceston attended by Tasmanian Government decision-makers including the Premier, the Honourable Jeremy Rockliff MP, the then Minister for Children and Youth, the Honourable Roger Jaensch MP, the Head of the Tasmanian State Service, Ms Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, and lead of the Woolcott Review, Mr Peter Woolcott AO.
At this event, VTY members spoke about their experiences as Council members, before presenting the Premier and Minister with a comprehensive written report titled Speaking out for a Safer Tomorrow: Our Messages for Change. After the conclusion of a public media opportunity, the event transitioned into a closed-door discussion, providing VTY members a forum to speak directly with the decision-makers in
attendance.
Launch event photos by Hannah Todd of Terrapin
A Mountain of Voices
A Mountain of Voices: Photo by Hannah Todd of Terrapin
A Mountain of Voices (the Mountain) is a creative, arts-based response to the themes and messages explored by the VTY. Developed in partnership with Terrapin, through a series of creative workshops, the Mountain is a scalable sculpture in the form of a stylised mountain peak, inviting children and young people to share their thoughts, views and ideas with the adults around them.
“Only children and young people can climb the Mountain and speak into the megaphone at its summit, sharing their “Power Statements” to remind adults of why their voices matter. Young people are also invited to write a “Power Statement” or draw a picture on a Post-it note, which they can fix to the slopes of the Mountain. As their statements build up, each young person who climbs the Mountain is symbolically lifted by the voices of their peers.” – Remarks made by a member of the VTY at the July 2024 launch event
During 2025, the Mountain visited schools in New Norfolk, Glenorchy, Ulverstone and George Town, lifting up the voices of 240 children and young people.
On 26 November 2025, a special celebration of the A Mountain of Voices project and tour was enjoyed at Government House, hosted by Her Excellency, the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania.
At this event, young people spoke about their involvement with the Mountain, and unveiled a new artwork, On the Record, detailed below.
Celebration event photos by Terrapin / Peter Mathew
On the Record
On the Record is an enduring artwork, featuring the voices of Mountain participants.
Listen to On the Record
Side A
Side B
Content advice
“This is a powerful collection of messages from Tasmanian young people to the adults who make decisions which affect us. 240 young people from four schools have written and recorded messages to the decision-makers in our communities. Some messages refer to struggles about our health, safety, and wellbeing. If this upsets you in any way, please remember that help is available.”– From On the Record
The following services can be contacted for support:
- Kids Helpline: Anyone under 25 can contact the Kids Helpline 24/7 on 1800 55 1800. They also have a webchat and online tips at www.kidshelpline.com.au
- A Tasmanian Lifeline: People of all ages can contact A Tasmanian Lifeline on 1800 98 44 34 for local support (8am – 8pm every day of the year)
- Lifeline: For crisis support, anyone can contact lifeline 24/7 on 13 11 14.
On the Record zine
The messages shared by young participants have also been documented in a special zine.
On the Record and the On the Record zine were created by K Verell, produced by Terrapin, and commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People.
Objectives
The key objectives of this project were to:
- Enable Participation: Provide children and young people with the opportunity to participate in and have their voices heard during the development of the Strategy and Action Plan.
- Empower Youth: Ensure that children and young people feel empowered to share their views and ideas on how to make Tasmania a safer place for them.
- Promote Child-Centred Leadership: Adopt a child-centred and child-led approach in the establishment and functioning of the Council, allowing children and young people to define the Council’s identity and direction.
- Ensure a Safe Environment: Create a safe and supportive environment for children and young people to exercise their participatory rights.
Identity and culture
The VTY independently chose name and developed its own mission statement – Speaking Out for a Safer Tomorrow. The group also crafted its own visual identity and established an internal agreement outlining behaviour, values, and expectations, titled Being Our Best Selves (BOBS).