Youth Lifespan Action Group
The Youth & Young Adults Lifespan Action Group is focused on the experiences, needs and strengths of young people aged 13 to 25 in the Barossa. The group brings together young people, youth workers, educators, service providers and community members who want to make the Barossa a place where young people genuinely thrive.
This is about more than programs and services. It’s about belonging, agency, connection and opportunity. The group works to ensure that the voices of young people shape decisions, and the Barossa is a community where young people feel valued, heard and supported.
The Youth & Young Adults group draws on local data, the perspectives of young people, and the expertise of those who work alongside them to develop actions that are practical, relevant and community-led.
Our Focus
Young people in the Barossa have ideas, energy, and lived experience that this region needs. The Youth and Young Adults Lifespan Action Group exists to make sure young people are genuinely heard and that the systems around them are connected and accessible.
Our work focuses on:
supporting the access to mental health support, transport, and services for young people across the region
creating real opportunities for youth voice and leadership in shaping local decisions
connecting young people to information, opportunities, and each other
building pathways for young people navigating neurodiversity, employment transitions, and life beyond school
supporting the creation of a Youth and Young Adults network.
Every young person deserves a place where they belong, and a community that shows up for them.
Name | Organisation / Role |
Casey Miles - Chair | Irvine Wines |
Michelle Knynenburg - Council Collaborative Partner | Barossa Council |
Bec Mace | Lutheran Care |
Randal Murch | SAPOL |
Haylie Staunton | Community member |
Jess Williams | Feros Care |
Jack Herzich | State Autism Strategy Committee |
Francesca Martin-Bizzai | Employment Direct |
Calern Adams | Centrecare |
Nicki McCarthy | Nuriootpa High School |
Sophie Wilksch | Young Life |
Formal governance arrangements and Terms of Reference for the Wellbeing Network are continuing to evolve alongside implementation of the Wellbeing & Inclusion Plan.
Committee Members
Minutes & Updates
Below is a record of recent Youth Lifespan Action Group meetings. Minutes are published here following endorsement by the committee.
Date | Key Discussion Items | Document Link |
TBC | TBC | TBC |
TBC | TBC | TBC |
Governance & Support
The Youth Lifespan Action Group is community-led and Council-enabled, bringing together community members, organisations and service providers to shape priorities and support collaborative action.
Council provides the structure, coordination, resources and connections that support the group to operate, while priorities and actions are shaped through community voice and shared participation.
The group contributes to the implementation of the Barossa Wellbeing & Inclusion Plan by helping turn community priorities into tangible actions through collaboration and shared participation.