2017 Youth Council Final Meeting

The 2017 Tweed Shire Youth Council held its final meeting on Wednesday 22 November, with delegates taking full advantage of their last opportunity to discuss issues affecting local youth with Councillors and Executive Staff.

The discussion focused on youth mental health issues and environmental concerns before delegates provided feedback on the Youth Council process and suggestions for the future.

Mt St Patrick College delegate Jesse Wright said mental health was a significant issue in the school community.

“I know there are opportunities out there for students to seek help but I don’t feel like there are enough opportunities for kids to seek help from people their own age or from a truly anonymous source where things don’t end up on the record,” Jesse said.

“I’ve spoken to kids who may one day want to be in the Army or other similar positions and that ends up being a huge barrier towards ending up seeking help for whatever reason.

“I feel like in communities there isn’t enough support for students who just need someone to talk to or some other way of unloading that stress and anxiety.”

Their discussion about environmental concerns focused on raising awareness of waste and different ways this could be achieved.

Talia Green from Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School put forward a number of ideas for competitions which would send a positive message.

“I love competitions, I really do,” Talia said.

“People in schools could monitor their consumption of waste for perhaps a week and whoever uses the least, or people coming up with the best plan for their school, that could be a competition.”

Oscar Winters from St Joseph College said their Principal had already started to raise the issue of waste at their school.

“He has spoken to us in meetings about how to get students to be more proactive about putting rubbish in the bin.

“He was thinking of the idea of getting a huge plastic bag and filling it with the rubbish that happens in one week to show students how much rubbish is collected.”

Following the discussion Tweed Shire Council General Manager Troy Green thanked the students for their participation, saying he looked forward to seeing them in leadership roles in the future.