General News
10 April, 2023
Teens have mayoral aims
CAIRNS State High School year 12 student Anu Prasanna wants to get elected to the region’s new youth council but politics is not her ambition.
“I actually want to go into medicine but I really like leadership activities so I really want to improve my skills as a leader,” she said at the launch of the youth council pilot program.
“I really want to contribute to my community, to my society. Young people like me could actually have a platform to get their ideas out there.”
The youth council will centre local young people in local government decision-making under the pilot program.
The new partnership between Cairns Regional Council and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) will get young people more involved in local decision-making.
The young mayors program will support people aged 17 and under to get elected to a youth council, positioning them as decision-makers on issues that impact their future.
Elected by young people in the Cairns region by a democratic process, the youth council will work together to define priority areas, and work with council to implement projects and events. Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said young people brought enormous value to Cairns.
“We know there are outstanding ideas just waiting to be harnessed by the elected youth council that will ensure Cairns continues to thrive,” he said.
“Young people have told us they relish the tropical lifestyle we have, enjoying natural areas such as the beaches and rainforest, and identified key challenges for our region.
“The youth council will provide formal advice to councillors and help us make decisions with meaningful input from the next generation of local leaders.”
FYA civic and cultural engagement executive director Molly Whelan said a youth council ensured local government decisions reflect the desires of young people.
FYA young mayors program director Tahlia Azaria said the program would “back young people to create a better future for their region through a democratically-elected youth council”.
The youth council will serve a term in office and get a $10,000 fund to bring their ideas to life,” she said.
Any person aged 17 and under, who lives in the Cairns Local Government Area, can nominate to run for the youth council.
The young mayors program has been designed by FYA and is based on successful UK models.
Cairns joins Mackay (QLD), Horsham (VIC) and Wollongong (NSW) to pilot the program in Australia, with plans to expand cross the country.
For more information about the young mayors program, visit: https://bit.ly/3Ub4iW8
