Programs for 2025
As part of our commitment to developing and supporting young people in the Yarra Ranges, the Youth Development Team hosts and supports several core programs:
Our first five programs feature opportunities for young people to learn new skills, meet and befriend local young people, get job-ready, and get support from our team.
Outer East Youth Service Providers Network (OEYSPN) provides opportunities for professionals across the Outer Eastern suburbs to connect with youth opportunities, professional development, and service updates.
Nominations are now open for 2025!
Every year, we celebrate the contributions and achievements of young people in the Yarra Ranges through a youth-led awards night!
The celebration is hosted by young people and includes:
- inspiring speeches & personal stories
- performances
- presentations
- food!
- plus a visit by the Mayor!
Eligibility
To be eligible for an award, the nominee/s must:
- be aged between 12-25 years
- either live, work, study or volunteer in Yarra Ranges
You can nominate an individual or a group for an award. A nomination can be made by friends, family, a professional -- or you can even nominate yourself! We contact all nominees before the event.
Our assessment panel decides the award winners after nominations have closed. There is one winner and one honourable mention per category!
Each award recipient receives a gift, voucher & certificate for their achievement. All nominees are also recognised during the celebration.
Nominations close October 2025
Fill in a Nomination Form!
Award Categories
Resilience & Perseverance
A group or individual who has shown character and persevered in a time of great challenge.
Young Entrepreneur
A group or individual who has shown resourcefulness, creative thinking and ambition by starting a small business or project.
Arts, Music & Culture
A group or individual pursuing their passion for creative arts, music or culture.
School or Community Improvement
A group or individual who has given time and energy to activities that positively impact their school or community.
Passionate Advocate
A group or individual who advocates for and creates awareness on an issue they strongly believe in.
More Info
For any questions, please Contact our Youth Team
Celebrating YOUth Awards Night is supported by the Victorian Government through the Engage! Program.
2024 Award Winners
- Resilience and Perseverance Award – Bella Wade
- School or Community Improvement Award – Sophia Thomas
- Young Entrepreneur Award – Double Dare Ya Zines – Olly Nielsen & Jacinta Carter
- Passionate Advocate Award – Holly Hunt
- Art, Music and Culture Award – Lotte Gale
2024 Honourable Mentions
- Resilience and Perseverance Award – Cooper Daly
- School or Community Improvement Award – Barnaby McDonald
- Young Entrepreneur Award – Jeremy Firman
- Passionate Advocate Award – Madeline Oswald
- Art, Music and Culture Award – Claire Garvey
EOIs open for 2025 – join the Belgrave Crew!
Defrosted Events are a group of young people aged 14–25 who support music, art and cultural events across the Yarra Ranges.
We began as a FReeZA committee – a Victorian Government initiative that gives young Victorians the opportunity to lead the planning and staging of live music and cultural events. FReeZA events are accessible for people of all ages and abilities, and drug, smoke and alcohol free.
Our committee members:
- Are aged 14-25 years old
- Live, work, study or spend time in the Yarra Ranges
- Don’t need any previous work or volunteer experience
- Are enthusiastic, willing to share their ideas, and get involved
- Are from a range of diverse backgrounds including race, gender, ability, LGBTIQA+ and more
- Can attend meetings regularly
Express interest today to join the Defrosted Events Belgrave Crew!
Can't get to Belgrave? Don't let that stop you from applying – we can drive you!
The Youth Team Minibus can take passengers from Lilydale Civic Centre to Belgrave and back. Just let us know.
What does the Defrosted Events Crew do?
In 2025, crew members have the opportunity to:
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You can learn new skills in:
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Events you might collaborate on:
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- Support local organisations and community events
- Learn and partner with different teams within Yarra Ranges Council
- Apply for your first grant (with support!)
- Plan and host mini events
- Participate in peer-to-peer skill sharing
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- Event management
- Audio and lighting tech skills
- Risk assessment and management
- How to book artists, performers, and other event services
- Budget management
- Marketing and promoting events
- Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication
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- Festivals & Markets
- Theatre or comedy performances
- Art or photography exhibitions
- Film screenings
- Showcases and workshops
- and more – your ideas lead the way!
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Defrosted Events Meetings
When
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Where
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Thursday Afternoons
4:30pm-6:00pm
Dates confirmed during EOI process
sign up today!
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In-person at either of two locations:
1. Belgrave Community Hub:
1616/1624 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave VIC 3160
2. Belgrave Library:
Reynolds Lane, Belgrave VIC 3160
Locations confirmed before each session.
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Previous Events
When supported by FReeZA, Defrosted Events designed multiple large-scale events for the young community of the Yarra Ranges. As we did not receive FReeZA funding during the last grant round, our future events will be smaller pop-ups and partnerships with local festivals, markets, and organisations.
We will continue to advocate for funding opportunities and support young people to host incredible events! Our 2025 Crew is learning all about grant writing and have begun applying for opportunities themselves - an achievement they can take great pride in.
Festive Busking Mini-Series - December 2024
In the lead-up to the holiday season, young, local buskers were paid to perform at multiple business locations across the Yarra Ranges.
Location: Yarra Ranges Pop-Ups
Date: December, 2024
Celebrating YOUth Awards - December 2024
An awards night to celebrate the achievements of young people in the Yarra Ranges.
Location: Yarra Ranges Civic Centre, Lilydale
Date: 12th December, 2024
Time: 5:45pm-7:30pm
The Bel-GRAVE-YARD - October 2024
A haunting night to remember: young people and their families sold out this free film screening of Corpse Bride in a collaboration with the local Cameo Cinema in Belgrave. Halloween Spirit was well and truly alive – or undead?
Location: Cameo Cinema, Belgrave
Date: 30th October, 2024
Time: 5:00pm-8:30pm
Rainbow Promenade - August 2024
A formal evening to celebrate young LGBTIQA+ people and allies from the Outer Eastern Suburbs. EACH’s Rural Rainbows became a FReeZA crew, and designed the event from ideation through to final decorations and performers.
Location: Mooroolbark Community Centre
Date: 17th August, 2024
Time: 4:00pm-7:00pm
Belgrave Lantern Festival - June 2024
In partnership with Belgrave Traders Association: celebration of Belgrave’s community culture through a display of lanterns and winter festivity. The Defrosted crew lead and designed a Youth Stage and Youth Stall, showcasing young artists from the Hills region of the Yarra Ranges.
Location: Belgrave Main Street
Date: 22nd June, 2024
Time: 1:00pm-10:00pm
Barbenheimer Screening - April 2024
A back-to-back film screening designed by young people from the Upper Yarra region, to recreate the hyped dual-release of films Barbie and Oppenheimer from 2023.
Location: Warburton Arts Centre
Date: 13th April, 2024
Time: 12:00pm-7:00pm
Empublishment Book Launch - March 2024
An event hosted to celebrate the debut of “Vignette”, an anthology novel written by 12 young authors through a writing program at Upper Yarra Secondary College.
Location: Warburton Arts Centre
Date: 23rd March, 2024
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Belgrave Lantern Festival - June 2023
In partnership with Belgrave Traders Association, we will be presenting a range of musicians to perform in the Hayes Street carpark in Belgrave.
Date: 24th June 2023
Time: 5:00-8:00pm
Lil Pic - March 2023
A picnic styled music festival held at Lillydale Lake
Date: 19th March 2023
Time: 4:00-7:00pm
Youth Celebration - December 2022
An awards night to celebrate the achievements of young people in the Yarra Ranges.
Location: Mooroolbark Community Centre
Date: 7th December, 2022
Time: 7:00-8:30pm
Pride Formal - October 2022
A formal for young people (Yrs 7-12) of the LGBTQIA+ community and all their allies! In partnership with Lilydale Youth Hub.
Location: Mooroolbark Community Centre
Date: 15th October, 2022
Time: 6pm-9pm
More info: Coming soon!
Baker Boy - September 2022
Baker Boy is touring regional Victoria and coming to the Memo in Healesville for two shows only! Co-presented with Oonah Belonging Place.
Location: The Memo, Healesville
Date: September 2nd – 3rd , 2022
Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm
More info here
Belgrave Lantern Festival – July 2022
In partnership with Belgrave Traders Association and with over 10,000 attendees, we showcased a line-up of artists on the big stage and arranged a market of stallholders in the main carpark.
Best Arts Festival (BAF) – March 2022
A full day of live music, creative workshops and interactive art spaces held at Burrinja Cultural Centre in Upwey.
The Push All Ages Tour – February 2022
The Chats and Teenage Joans headlined this awesome live concert, and were supported by St.Emerald and Dewey.
Summer Series – January 2022
A roving festival of live music performances and dance workshops across the Yarra Ranges. One week, 8 towns, 11 events!
Queer Conversations Series – June 2021
Video recorded conversations between LGBTQIA+ young people in Yarra Ranges and LBTQIA+ staff at Yarra Ranges Council.
Watch the full series here.
The TAC L2P Program helps learner drivers in need of support with the 120 hours of required driving practice. Learners may be eligible for L2P if you do not have access to a supervising driver or a vehicle. Volunteers interested in supporting the learners are encouraged to apply or reach out for more information.
About the Program
The TAC L2P Program assists disadvantaged Victorian learner drivers aged 16 to 21 with no access to a supervising driver or vehicle to gain the 120 hours driving experience required to apply for a probationary licence.
The TAC L2P Program is funded by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Department of Transport (DoT), supported by the Victorian Government and coordinated by Yarra Ranges Council.
Yarra Ranges Council is a child safe organisation and is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people in our community.
Learn more about young people’s safety here.
The TAC L2P Program matches learners from 16 to 21 years old with a fully-licensed volunteer driver and practice vehicle to help them gain driving experience.
The program focuses on helping young people become safe, confident drivers, in an effort to reduce Victoria’s road toll. It also provides an opportunity for young people to interact with positive adult role models, gain confidence and move towards social independence.
Learner Information
Learner eligibility
To be considered for a learner position within one of the TAC L2P Programs, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be aged between 16 and 21 years (in some circumstances we will consider applicants up to 23 years)
- Hold a current Victorian learner's permit
- Not have access to a supervising driver and/or
- Not have access to an appropriate vehicle
- Are an Australian Citizen or permanent resident (including new arrivals and/or refugees)
- Not be an overseas student.
Note: All learner applications are assessed based on answers to the questions within the application form and prioritised accordingly.
To find out how VicRoads will use and handle your personal, sensitive and health information, please read our collection notice.
Learner Application Process
To be eligible for the TAC L2P program, learners need to complete a learner driver application form. This can be completed in one of two ways:
1.Online through your myVicRoads personal account where you can access the link to the online application form.
- Login to your myVicRoads account or create an account to get started.
- Navigate to Licenses and Learner Permits in your account
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Apply as a learner in the TAC L2P Program to go to the learner's online application form.
- When completing the application ensure you select Yarra Ranges as your local program
2. Download a paper-based application form
- Download and complete the TAC L2P Learner Application eForm [PDF 340 Kb]
- Email or post it directly to L2P@yarraranges.vic.gov.au / PO BOX 105, Lilydale, 3140.
- To provide an electronic signature, the PDF application form will need to be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Please note: You can only apply to one TAC L2P Program. In joining, your local organisation will be responsible for your participation and advice within the TAC L2P Program.
Become a Mentor
Mentor Application
If you meet the volunteer mentor criteria, the first step in the process is to complete a Volunteer Mentor application form. This can be completed in one of two ways:
1. Online through your myVicRoads personal account where you can access the link to the online application form.
- Login to your myVicRoads account or create an account to get started.
- Navigate to Licenses and Learner Permits in your account
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Apply as a Volunteer Mentor in the TAC L2P Program to go to the Volunteer Mentor online application form.
- When completing the application ensure you select Yarra Ranges as your local program
2. Download a paper-based application form
- Download and complete the TAC L2P Volunteer Mentor Application eForm [PDF 340 Kb]
- Email or post it directly to L2P@yarraranges.vic.gov.au / PO BOX 105, Lilydale, 3140.
- To provide an electronic signature, the PDF application form will need to be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
More information
For more information reach out to the Yarra Ranges TAC L2P Coordinator at 1300 368 333 or L2P@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
EOIs are open for 2025 – join the Lilydale team!
The Youth Advisory Group (YAG) are a collective of young people with a connection to the Yarra Ranges. They work with Council and within the community to ensure young people’s voices are heard.
Our wonderful team members have a vast range of experiences and outlooks. We want to support and advocate for people from all walks of life. This ensures our young community is represented through various interests in projects, policies and planning.
We act in an advisory role, bringing young voices into decision-making spaces. We advocate for and promote positive change in the Yarra Ranges community.
Express interest today to join the YAG team in Lilydale!
Can't get to Lilydale? Don't let that stop you from applying! The Youth Team can help you access the YAG through myki support, or rideshare alternatives (like taxis and Uber). Just let us know.
Contact details:
Project Lead: Jayde Petrie, Youth Development Officer
Our values
With each new version of the Youth Advisory Group, we create our own values. These values reflect the ideals of each member and iteration of the YAG.
Respect others opinions + different ways of contributing
The YAG consists of many young people who bring different life experiences, ideas, and priorities to the team. We each have our own ways of communicating, and make an effort to be patient and thoughtful. Respecting one another is essential to achieving our goals together.
Show kindness
The YAG prioritises kindness in how we treat one another. We approach our consultations and projects through an empathetic lens.
Inclusivity & Equity
To represent young people, the YAG ensures that inclusivity and equity are a core tenet of all the work we do. This means considering all perspectives in our conversations, and making effort to ensure the team is safe for young people with lived experience of marginalisation. We seek learning opportunities to improve our understanding of inclusion and equity.
Integrity
The YAG want to embed a sense of trust with one another and with the broader community that we act with integrity. We commit to transparency and consistency to fulfil this value.
Past projects and previous Youth Advisory Groups
2021 Youth Advisory Group
The 2021 YAG was a pilot project, running between June and December 2021 – although we had additional meetings in 2022 due to demand for youth voice and consultations across Council!
2022 Youth Advisory Group
The 2022 YAG consulted with the Department of Jobs, Precincts, and Regions (now the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions) on the Lilydale Urban Redesign project. They provided valuable youth-centred insights over the course of several months to ensure young people would see themselves and their vision for the Yarra Ranges in the area.
2023 Youth Advisory Group
The 2023 YAG made considerable efforts to preserve and advocate for the local Lilydale Youth Hub, run by Inspiro. These efforts culminated in a rally that saw over 100 community members speak to the significance of the resource as the Hub faced closure. Whilst the Youth Hub was not re-funded, the connection and spirit displayed in this rally represent the unity of young people in the Yarra Ranges community.
2024 Youth Advisory Group
The 2024 YAG consulted on multiple projects from March through December 2024. Throughout the year, they developed skills in presentation and entrepreneurship, and devoted themselves to the key project of writing an advocacy letter to Council to represent youth voice in the Yarra Ranges.
Looking to develop your writing skills and meet like-minded creatives?
The Queer Youth Writer's Collective (QYWC) is starting up at Mooroolbark Library this May!
This is a project led by a young community member, funded by the Victorian Government through the Healthy Equal Youth program. It is aimed at LGBTIQA+ people or allies aged 16-25, with an interest in writing and books. The Yarra Ranges Youth Development team auspices the project, and offer various supports.
What you can expect from the QYWC:
- Workshops
- Guest speakers
- Social Connection
- Skill-building opportunities
- A group made for young people, by young people!
QYWC Upcoming Sessions
When
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Where
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First Four Sessions:
- May 20th, 4:30pm-6:30pm
- June 3rd, 4:15pm-6:15pm
- June 17th, 4:30pm-6:30pm
- July 1st, 4:30pm-6:30pm
Registrations essential – sign up today!
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Mooroolbark Library
7A Station Street
Mooroolbark, Victoria, 3138
Mooroolbark Library is just a 2-minute walk from Mooroolbark Train Station, with plenty of nearby free parking!
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Sign up today on the Trybooking Page:
Updates
Follow Yarra Ranges Youth on social media to get updates and announcements, or email youth@yarraranges.vic.gov.au with your questions.
Facebook
Instagram
The Outer East YSPN provides free networking and professional learning opportunities for service providers who work with young people aged 10 to 25 years in outer east of Melbourne. This includes not-for-profit and public sector organisations including schools and education providers.
The network is run in partnership by Maroondah, Knox and Yarra Ranges Councils.
Network Objectives
- Foster collaboration and cooperative relationships between youth service providers.
- Facilitate the sharing of information, resources and best practices among members and provide a platform for members to ask questions.
- Offer professional development opportunities and resources to enhance skills and knowledge of members.
- Contribute to the ConnectUs online service directory of youth services in Outer East Melbourne.
Terms of Reference
View the Network's Terms of reference - OEYSPN Terms of Reference(PDF, 196KB)
Upcoming Meeting Dates
The Outer East YSPN provides four network meetings per year. Each meeting has a key topic and includes professional development and networking opportunities.
In 2025, meetings will run from 9am to 11.30am and the location rotates between the three host local Councils.
- Thursday 20 February 2025, Lilydale Civic Centre (Yarra Ranges Council)
- Tuesday 20 May 2025, The Hive (Knox City Council)
- Wednesday 20 August 2025, REALM (Maroondah City Council)
- Thursday 6 November 2025, Lilydale Civic Centre (Yarra Ranges Council)
OEYSPN opportunities
ConnectUs - Online Youth Service Directory
Do you belong to a group, organisation or service that provides health, wellbeing support, groups, recreation options or education programs for young people (10 to 25 years) in Melbourne's Outer East? Consider including your listing on ConnectUs.
Youth Providers - Sign up to the Mailing List
Do you provide a service to young people in the Yarra Ranges area? Join the mailing list to receive local youth sector updates, information about youth programs and services from other local service providers and invitations to attend the Outer East YSPN meetings.
More Information
For more information regarding the Outer East YSPN network, contact your local Council network coordinator:
Yarra Ranges Council Youth Services
Phone: 9294 6716
Email: youth@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
Maroondah City Council Youth Services
Phone: 9294 5704
Email: myspn@maroondah.vic.gov.au
Knox City Council Youth Services
Phone: 9298 8000
Email: youth@knox.vic.gov.au
Resources from Previous Meetings