Feedback from schools forum

Students from three Tweed Shire high schools gather at a recent forum to discuss some of the key issues raised so far during the Speak Out campaign to create a Tweed youth strategy.

A total of 39 students from the Kingscliff, Murwillumbah and Wollumbin high schools attended the forum, staged at Murwillumbah Golf Club by Tweed Shire Council representatives and consultants from Cred Community Planning.

They discussed several issues raised during the Speak Out campaign, including safe communities, alchohol and drug use, public transport, Knox Park and including young people in public discussions and decision making.

"These topic arose regularly during the community engagement campaign staged earlier this year," the Mayor of Tweed, Barry Longland, said.

"It was terrific to bring these students together to further these themes and discuss some solutions."

Students from three Tweed Shire high schools gather at a recent forum to discuss some of the key issues raised so far during the Speak Out campaign to create a Tweed youth strategy.

A total of 39 students from the Kingscliff, Murwillumbah and Wollumbin high schools attended the forum, staged at Murwillumbah Golf Club by Tweed Shire Council representatives and consultants from Cred Community Planning.

Click here to see photos from the forum.

They discussed several issues raised during the Speak Out campaign, including safe communities, alchohol and drug use, public transport, Knox Park and including young people in public discussions and decision making.

"These topic arose regularly during the community engagement campaign staged earlier this year," the Mayor of Tweed, Barry Longland, said.

"It was terrific to bring these students together to further these themes and discuss some solutions."

The students were divided into four groups to address each of the themes, with each group then presenting their recommendations to the entire forum.

Their recommendations included:

Knox Park:

• Improve lighting.
• Relocate the skatepark to make it more visible.
• Clean up the pond.
• Involve young people to stage events to bring people to the park.
• Free wi-fi outside the community centre.

 Transport:

• Restore train services.
• A ferry service down Tweed River.
• Provide a youth transport service.
• Make bus stops safer and more visible.
• Provide transport that crosses into Queensland.

Safety and civic pride:

• More access to non-judgmental help for young people with drinking and drug issues.
• Get drugs out of schools and parks.
• Involve young people in the design of their indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Enliven parks with activities and programs to get them more activated and safer.
• More physically demanding play areas for older kids.
• More safe places for young people to hang out.

• More activities, programs and events including young people.

Decision making:

• Develop an ambassador program in which a young person from each school is the information source for students at their school. Provide training, a mentorship and rewards for participation.
• Have young people on committees at Council.
• More youth forums. But have them on a night when any young person can come. Make them fun, with music and other activities.

Click here to see full lists of the forum feedback.

Issues and solutions raised during the schools forum will be incorporated into the draft Tweed Youth Strategy and Action Plan, which is expected to be completed later this year and will be publicly exhibited early next year.