The Stratford District Youth Council, including Justin Salisbury (back, third from left), Tatjana Hanne (back, third from right) and Victoria Payne (front, second from left).
The Stratford District Youth Council, including Justin Salisbury (back, third from left), Tatjana Hanne (back, third from right) and Victoria Payne (front, second from left).
Scrapping the Whanganui Youth Council signifies a loss of empowerment for young people, the Stratford District Youth Council says.
Instead of having a youth council, the council is proposing to have a councillor with a youth portfolio.
In its submission to Whanganui’s LTP, the Stratford District Youth Council said while it was commendable to have a councillor with this portfolio, it should be in addition to a youth council.
Stratford’s youth voice liaison Tatjana Hanne said it was also disempowering for youth to have someone else speak for them.
This would “directly impact the ability of the youth in Whanganui to have a voice about their community”.
“It may make them feel as if their voices are unimportant.”
The submission, which was prepared by Hanne, said the closure of Whanganui’s Youth Council represented more than just a loss of engagement; it also signified a loss of empowerment for young people within the community.
“By dismantling a platform where youth could voice their concerns, advocate for their interests and actively participate in decision-making processes, the community sends a message that the opinions and contributions of young individuals are not valued or respected,” the submission said.
The Stratford District Youth Council in a meeting.
Stratford District Youth Council co-chair Victoria Payne said being a youth councillor “gives us the opportunities to give back to and help our community, specifically youth”.
“It gives us a sense of purpose as we are the voice of youth in our district. It opens up opportunities for us to become a part of local government in the future.”
Payne’s co-chair Justin Salisbury said being on the youth council meant he was able to learn about local government and what councils do in depth.
“We also learn how council decisions affect our lives as the youth of the Stratford district, and we learn about the many opportunities that we have to submit on things like the long-term plan and what elements of it have the potential to affect youth.”
Kāpiti Coast District Council youth co-ordinator Evalina Brunoro-Beilman had seen firsthand how being on the youth council could open opportunities for young people to get jobs in council, having initially started on the youth council.
“I learned a lot about the inner workings of local government and how to effectively represent and engage with community.”
Brunoro-Beilman had no concerns about the youth council in Kāpiti being scrapped, saying “we like to think that our council has a strong youth focus and values their voices”.
“I feel that council is invested in the interests of our young people, which is reflected in the upkeep of our youth council, as well as through the other programmes and services that help support Kāpiti youth.”
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe had previously said the council wanted to focus on its youth, making sure they were listening and responding to their needs.
