Inner-city youngsters have

Council finds it a refreshing change to get feedback and input from pupils keen to have voices heard

Jaren Hedges, 9, is fired up about parks. Theme parks, to be exact, and their lack around the city or North Shore. He’d also like to see more dog parks.

Rufus Holmes, 10, is more concerned about the city buildings being destroyed by adults, so that children of the future won’t be able to enjoy them. Jessy Lanshchikova, 11, would like to see more libraries. And while we’re at it, more public buildings powered by solar energy. Isaac Simona, 10, would like fewer cars and would love to see the roads ripped up and replaced with trams. Everyone loves cycling and would like to do more.

I’ve been to more than my fair share of ratepayer/ community/neighbourhood meetings and have developed a dread of moaning nimbys who claim to have the city’s best interests at heart.

But after a lunchtime with some of the children who developed the Auckland Kids’ Voice website with their teacher Annelies Judson, I’m heartened by a much more positive way of hearing from citizens.

The six children are part of a group of 19 from Freeman’s Bay Primary who pitched a project to the Waitemata Local Board to use funds earmarked for youth initiatives as part of being a Unicef Child Friendly City.

“We’re on behalf of all the kids in the city,” says Pablo Jonas, 10.

“It’s not just for adults. When we grow up the city will be how the old adults wanted it, so we’ll have to build it all

When we grow up the city will be how

the old adults wanted it, so we’ll have to build it all again to how we want it. Pablo Jonas

again to how we want it.”

Ms Judson had been prompted by suggestions from Auckland Council to use the school’s Funky Friday project to pitch to the board (“we chose this over Minecraft,” says Pablo).

The $1000 won, the children then had to brainstorm how they could make their voices heard.

It was tough to decide, but when the council’s Joanna Wilkins explained how her department’s Shape Auckland consultations work, they found how they could get involved.

“We really wanted a voice, because adults choose everything,” says Jenny Lu, 11. Ms Wilkins, always keen to hear from people who don’t usually speak up, was excited to include primary children, not the usual high school or tertiary students.

“It was a real refreshing change to get feedback from them, they gave real views,” she found. “We’re always keen to make something that can last, not just a one-time thing. So we’re now doing other consultations that children have a view on.”

Ms Wilkins brought on Kirsty Charles from Auckland Transport to give the children a real-time project to work on — consultation on the new bus network for the city.

As it happens, there was a specific piece of the network around the central city to Freemans Bay that needed local feedback. So the children set to work adapting the adult survey for their fellow kids.

“The stars aligned,” says Ms Charles.

“These kids are in an urban environment, the city is their backyard, they use public transport. It struck me that they have the big picture,