Students from St Philip’s College put the Alice Springs Town Council in the hot seat recently with a barrage of questions about skateboarding in Todd Mall, sporting facilities, town planning and youth issues. Council recently held its monthly Ordinary Council meeting at St Philip’s College, inviting students, teachers and parents along to meet their local representatives, ask questions about their community, and learn about the role and function of Council.
Public question time – at the start of the meeting – was extended to give students and members of the public an opportunity to throw questions at the Mayor and Elected Members.
“Is Council still going to go ahead with the proposed construction of a levy bank in Old Eastside?” one student asked.
“Are we allowed to skate in the Mall or in a public place other than the skatepark?” questioned another. “Are there plans to build another 18 hole golf course on Stephens Road?”
In total, approximately 350 Year 7–10 students watched as their Council made decisions that would affect the whole community.
Mayor Fran Kilgariff said it was good to see so many students in the public gallery.
“I know the St Philip’s students are busy preparing for their next Student Council elections, so I think it was very worthwhile for them to see how Council works and the way our meeting procedures guide our decisions,” Cr Kalgariff said. “It was a good opportunity for us to ‘localise’ what they learn about government in the classroom, especially after the first regional sitting of Parliament in Alice Springs earlier this year.
“These young people will be the ones leading our community into the future, and I think it’s wonderful that they show such an interest. This was the first of a series of Council meetings to be held at various locations, including schools, community centres and shopping malls. It’s all about making Council more accessible to the public, encouraging people to take an active role in their community, and transparency and accountability in local governance.”
