City of Whittlesea unveils a Youth Council for 2024

The City of Whittlesea’s Youth Advisory Committee will formally become a Youth Council early next year. 

Administrator Peita Duncan said the change was a further step towards empowering young people to contribute to the governance of their local municipality. 

“The transition from the Youth Advisory Committee to the Youth Council will provide our young community members with an opportunity to shape our municipality’s future,” she said. 

“We recognise the importance of their voices and celebrate the unique perspective they bring to the table.”  

The decision to transition the committee to a Youth Council was made at the 19 September Council Meeting. 

“I’d like to thank the enthusiastic and very impressive young people who have been a part of our committee over recent years,” Peita said. 

“We’re looking forward to recruiting for our new Youth Council and continuing to support and empower our young people.” 

The Youth Council is open to young individuals between the ages of 12 – 22, living, working, or studying within the municipality. Some of its key responsibilities will include: 

• providing valuable advice to Council on matters affecting young people
• creating opportunities for young people to engage with the Council and have their voices heard
• advocating for the interests, challenges, and opportunities faced by young people in our municipality
• offering input and feedback on relevant matters referred from the Council before formal decisions are made.

The City of Whittlesea is committed to ensuring First Nations representation and has reserved a dedicated position on the Youth Council for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young person. 

Each term on the Youth Council is for a period of two years, allowing Youth Councillors the flexibility needed to fulfil their work, study or personal commitments. 

Recruitment for City of Whittlesea’s Youth Council will begin in October 2023 through engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au.