2018 Youth Council Meets for the First Time

The first meeting of the 2018 Tweed Shire Youth Council has been held with members outlining their concerns and goals for the year ahead.

The Youth Council, now in its third year, is an initiative of the Tweed Shire Youth Strategy and Action Plan 2013-2017.

It is made up of representatives from public and private high schools in Tweed Shire who meet on a monthly basis to express views on youth oriented matters, while also providing opportunities for the development of communication, confidence and leadership skills.

Jazmine Cook of Tweed River High School was elected as Chair at the meeting and said she is looking forward to the experience.

“I decided to join the YC to gain more knowledge and experience of how a council works and also to hopefully make a difference in our community,” Jazmine said.

“I feel the group we have this year is very strong and I think we may be able to make a difference in youth homelessness and mental illness in the youth community.”

Jaime Coetzee of Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School was elected Deputy Chair and also spoke about her desire to have a positive impact.

“I am hoping to assist with the prevalent issue of homelessness in the tweed,” Jaime said.

“I am also excited to understand how the Tweed Council operates and makes their decisions.”

Council General Manager Troy Green was on hand to welcome the group and asked each member directly what youth-oriented services they would like to see established or improved in the local area.

Council Youth Development Officer Sylvia Roylance said the group’s answers, which ranged from transport to mental health and homeless services, showed them to be engaged members of the community.

“On first impression they are all very insightful as to what is going on around them and definitely full of energy and confidence,” Ms Roylance said.

“The Youth Council is a great way to expose young people to a formal meeting environment and gives a lot of insight into how local government works, potentially opening up career pathways they may not have been aware of.

“As we enter the third year of the program it is great to see the support these kids are getting from their schools which are starting to see the impact of the program as an extension of the leadership roles they encourage students to take on.”

The 2018 Tweed Shire Youth Council is made up of: Jazmine Cook (Chair), Corey Cox and Matthew Lewis (Tweed River High), Jaime Coetzee (Deputy Chair, Lindisfarne), Nava Bergman, Ethan Graham and Jasper Tiffen (Murwillumbah High School), Chloe Palin and Zoe Nethery (St Joseph’s College), Hannah Carmody and Jessica Maloney (Wollumbin High School) and Jack Lee and Joshua Carpenter (Banora Point High School).