Home | News
AYAC News
Heywire: an opportunity for young people in regional Australia to be heard on the ABC and in Canberra
What is Heywire?
Heywire is an ABC Radio initiative, providing a space for the conversation, stories, debate and ideas of young people from rural and regional Australia.
It’s a COMPETITION…open to people aged 16–22 to tell stories in all forms of media - text, photos, video and audio - about life and issues in Australia outside the major cities. Up to 40 winners are chosen from ABC Radio regional broadcast locations across the country and winning pieces are presented on the ABC through ABC Local Radio, ABC Radio National, triple j and abc.net.au.
It’s a CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE…winners also receive a trip to the Heywire Youth Issues Forum in Canberra in February 2012. Staying at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport, participants gain leadership skills and have a chance to pitch their ideas to politicians, funding bodies and policy makers.
It’s a TOOL…a resource for parents, teachers, politicians and the wider community to engage young people with the concepts of digital literacy. Resource guides are available for secondary teachers to tie Heywire into their teaching curriculum.
To read Heywire's full media release - click here (PDF -188kb)
Advocates for young and vulnerable Australians are optimistic after the federal government announced an increase of $4 a week to people on Newstart and Youth Allowance.
Executive Director of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, Andrew Cummings is campaigning for an increase for people on the lowest benefit schemes.
He said he was pleased that this year’s federal budget recognised that Newstart and Youth Allowance provide too little to live on.
