Sustainability, and increasing civic engagement among young people are high on the agenda for Wollongong City Council's second Youth Forum that officially took office with Thursday's (13 March) affirmation ceremony.
Twelve Forum members were sworn in by Deputy Lord Mayor Linda Campbell at Wollongong Council Chambers following their election in November last year.
Now in its second year, the Youth Forum is open to residents aged 12-17, with successful candidates earning a one-year term working with Council on various issues affecting them and their community.
Run in partnership with The Foundation for Young Australians' (FYA), the Forum is part of the Young Mayors Program, a concept based on successful youth leadership models in the United Kingdom.
The elected members participated in campaign workshops and media training in October last year ahead of a Meet the Candidates forum and November election period.
Forum member, Alyssa Jeffries says the Youth Forum is a great opportunity for young people to find their voice and be heard.
"I've always been really involved in youth advocacy, things like Youth Parliament and the NSW Youth Advisory Council," she said.
"When I saw the Youth Forum, I knew that's something that I'd really enjoy and that it would be a really good opportunity to strengthen the voices of young people in the community to hopefully make meaningful change.
"We're all very diverse with different backgrounds and lived experience, but because of our shared experience as young people in Wollongong, there are a lot of common concerns ani issues that we all feel passionate about.
"We've got a lot of things that we're working toward, like sustainability and hoping to increase the civic engagement of young people. We've worked really well together to find a common ground where everyone's happy to passionately work on some good projects."
Lived experience is want prompted fellow Forum member Ethan Zappelli to seek his seat at the table.
"As an independent young person living in assisted care, I have had experiences with homelessness in light of the housing and cost of living crisis," he said.
"Through these experiences, I have found that the majority of young people don't know how to get and find support, leading to young people feeling they don't have any power to improve their circumstances.
"This inspired me to run for the Youth Forum, where I could use my experiences to provide a unique insight and advocate for communities that often lack power due to financial, cultural or social issues.
"The Youth Forum is an amazing environment and everybody has connected really well. While there isn't a specific idea or issue we all unanimously agree on, I think there is an advantage in having really diverse insights, experiences and backgrounds represented in the Forum. It allows us to address issues from a wider range of perspectives."
Council's Forum members will serve a 12-month term, and the opportunity to offer a fresh, youthful perspective on local government issues.
It's something Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown welcomes.
"It's too often, and too easily said that young people are our future when they are, in fact, our present," Cr Brown said.
"Our young people will shape the future of our city, but they can also provide valuable insights when it comes to our immediate plans and priorities and provide a fresh perspective on how to approach different issues.
"I congratulate all our Youth Forum members for getting involved and for their desire to make a positive contribution to their local community."
