Auckland Council Youth Voice Review (2026)

Lead Researcher: Julie Radford-Poupard

This work started from something pretty simple. Young people don’t need to be given a voice, they already have one. They are already shaping their communities. The question was, how do we better support that to happen well?

Auckland Council has made a clear commitment to ensuring rangatahi can participate meaningfully in civic life, not just occasionally, but in ways that are ongoing and genuinely connected to decision-making. Youth Voice groups are one of the key ways that happens. This work was about taking that seriously.

We spent time listening. To rangatahi, to the organisations supporting them, to council staff and elected members. What stood out, quickly, was the strength that’s already there. We heard that when Youth Voice is well supported, it works. Young people step into leadership. They build confidence, skills, and a stronger sense of belonging. They connect more deeply to their communities, and start to see themselves as part of decision-making, not separate from it. And when they’re trusted to set priorities and make decisions, that sense of ownership only grows. What rangatahi showed us is that youth voice isn’t just about being asked for input. It’s about partnership. It’s about being part of the conversation from the start, not at the end. Importantly, it’s also about having the relationships, support, and resourcing in place so participation can be real and sustained over time.

A big thank you to the rangatahi who shared their experiences, their ideas, and their expectations for what good participation should look like.