Australian Young Greens
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| Australian Young Greens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Co-Convenors | Jy Sandford Maggie Perry |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Ideology | |
| Position | Left-wing |
| Mother party | Australian Greens |
| International affiliation | Global Young Greens |
The Australian Young Greens, commonly referred to as the Young Greens, is a federation of Young Greens groups from each Australian state and territory. Collectively, they form the youth wing of the Australian Greens, representing members aged 31 and under.
The group and its related state and territory divisions are a recruiting platform for the party and are often involved in activism on various youth-related issues. It is officially regarded to be a working group of the Australian Greens. It is underpinned by the four Greens pillars of ecological sustainability, social justice, grassroots democracy, and peace and non-violence.
Notable members of the group have included Senator Jordon Steele-John and Stephen Bates, two of the youngest members of the Australian Parliament when the were elected. The Australian Young Greens is a member of the Global Young Greens.
Role and function
[edit]The Australian Young Greens, as well as each of the state and territory Young Greens branches, are an important aspect in the representation of young voices within the party.
In some states and territories, they often take the lead in organising protests and other events to highlight issues of social injustice and environmental degradation. This has included opposition to the Foetal Personhood Bill (Zoe's Law) in New South Wales in 2014 and the dredging of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland in 2015. The Young Greens have also consistently protested against federal funding cuts to Australian universities, as well as to reduce the voting age to 16.
The group also has an active social media presence, with its Facebook page having over 112,000 likes, Instagram page having over 14,000 followers, and TikTok page.
Structure
[edit]The Australian Young Greens operate through two core bodies: the Steering Committee and the Coordinating Group.
The Steering Committee serves as the oversight and campaign coordination body, responsible for major decisions and collaboration with the Australian Greens. It is composed of the Coordinating Group, up to two delegates from each recognised Young Greens Member Body, and the Youth portfolio holder (or delegate) from the federal Party Room.
The Coordinating Group is the executive body responsible for managing the Australian Young Greens' operations between Steering Committee meetings. It includes five office bearer roles: Convenor, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Media Coordinator, and Engagement and Events Coordinator. These positions may be held jointly by two Young Greens, provided at least one is from an underrepresented group. Office bearers are elected annually in July at the Annual General Meeting, which also receives reports from the outgoing Coordinating Group.
Each Young Greens Member Body, including state/territory youth branches and the First Nations Network, may appoint up to two delegates to the Steering Committee. These branches govern themselves according to their own rules but participate in national coordination through the Australian Young Greens.
The Australian Young Greens is governed by its Terms of Reference, which were first adopted in 2011 and fully overhauled in 2025 to reflect current governance, campaign coordination, and youth engagement practices.
List of national co-convenors
[edit]List of co-convenors of the Australian Young Greens:
- 2013–14: James Searle (Vic.)[1] & Sam Dixon (NSW)
- 2014–15: Erin Moroney (NSW) & Eliza Scarpellino (NSW)[2]
- 2015–17: Harriet de Kok (SA) & Sophie Jamieson (Vic.)[3]
- 2017–18: Axeris Sondyre (NSW) & Robyn Lewis (Tas.)[4]
- 2018–19: Ashley Sutherland (Vic.) & Mark Clayton (Qld.)[5]
- 2019–21: Imogen Lindenberg (Qld.) & Josie Mira (Qld.)
- 2021–22: Elizabeth Thompson (NSW) & Jasper Lees (Tas.)
- 2022: Stasi Kapetanos (SA) & Eloise Mukasa (Qld.)
- 2022–23: Eloise Mukasa (Qld.) & Lucy O'Connell-Doherty (SA)
- 2023–24: Lucy O'Connell-Doherty (ACT) & Taylor Vandijk (Qld.)
- 2024–25: Taylor Vandijk (Qld.) & Jy Sandford (Vic.)
- 2025–present: Jy Sandford (Vic.) & Maggie Perry (Qld.)
University groups
[edit]The Young Greens are active in most metropolitan and some regional Australian universities. They have student union representation at a number of these universities, with members of the Australian Young Greens having held the position of president at the University of Wollongong (2013–14), the University of Technology Sydney (2014), Murdoch University (2016), Edith Cowan University (2010, 2013, 2016, 2018), Flinders University (2018), and others.
List of current university groups
[edit]Australian Capital Territory
[edit]New South Wales
[edit]- University of New South Wales Greens[7]
- Sydney University Greens Club [8]
- University of Wollongong Young Greens[9]
Queensland
[edit]- University of Queensland Greens[10]
South Australia
[edit]- Adelaide University Greens Club[11]
- UniSA Greens Club[12]
Victoria
[edit]Western Australia
[edit]- Curtin University Greens Club[16]
References
[edit]- ^ James Searle (23 February 2014). "Australian Young Greens Conference." Green Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Ben Moroney and Eliza June (20 October 2014). "Young Greens do it by consensus." Green Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Harriet de Kok and Sophie Jamieson (20 October 2015). "Taking the lead." Green Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Mia Sanders (17 February 2017). "Young Greens swing behind party's left." Green Left. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Luke Henriques-Gomes (4 October 2018). "Tasmanian Greens leader accused of 'racist dog-whistling' as party split over China." The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "ANU Greens". campus.hellorubric.com. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "The UNSW Greens". Arc UNSW Student Life. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Sydney University Greens Club". University of Sydney Union. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "UOW Young Greens". Clubs UOW. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "UQ Greens (UQG)". University of Queensland Union. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Adelaide University Greens Club". YouX. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Greens Club". UniSA Student Association. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Political and Social Justice Student Clubs". La Trobe University. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Greens Society, Monash University (MUGS)". Monash Student Association Clubs & Societies. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Greens Club". UMSU. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Curtin University Greens (WA) Club". Curtin Student Guild. Retrieved 16 March 2025.