A new Youth Council will give young people in Brimbank, Victoria, a stronger voice in decision-making.
Brimbank City Council’s new Youth Participation and Engagement Model was developed by the Brimbank Young Citizens’ Jury – a group of 15 young people tasked with designing a way that Council can better involve young people in decision-making.
Mayor, Margaret Giudice, said, “Young people have so much to contribute to our community, but we need to give them the appropriate time, resources and support so that they can feel comfortable in what are traditionally ‘formal or adult’ environments.
“These young people have done an outstanding job of exploring different ways Council can engage with youth and coming up with a proposal that suits Brimbank’s proudly diverse community.”
The Youth Participation and Engagement Model also includes establishing sub-committees and four ‘Local Young Communities’ groups – based in each Brimbank Council ward.
These groups will include opportunities to build skills, and support employment and education pathways for young people.
Brimbank Young Citizens’ Jury member Jacob Tiauli, 20, of Derrimut, said, “The model has lots of different ways for younger residents to get involved, which we hope will empower a diverse range of young people to take part.”
The new Brimbank Youth Council will act as an advisory committee to Council – with members to include 16 young people aged 12 to 25, along with a councillor and Council staff.
The Mayor said, “For some young people, Council can seem intimidating and formal. By setting up less formal groups that feed into the Brimbank Youth Council we hope to hear from a diverse range of young people.”
