Stratford youth push for retention of youth voice with Whanganui council
Scrapping the Whanganui Youth Council signifies a loss of empowerment for young people, the Stratford District Youth Council says.
In developing its Long-term Plan (LTP) 2024-2034, the Whanganui District Council decided to scrap its youth council as part of $1.5 million in savings to offset rates.
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.”
Stratford District Youth Council cochairwoman 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-chairman, Justin Salisbury, said being on the youth council meant he was able to learn about local government 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 longterm plan and what elements of it have the potential to affect youth.”
Kāpiti Coast District Council youth co-ordinator Evalina BrunoroBeilman 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 en
gage 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.
He said to achieve this a “dedicated councillor” would hold the youth portfolio — and that would be Councillor Charlotte Melser.
Submissions on the Whanganui LTP closed on May 2, with submissions set to be heard on May 14-16 and decisions made on June 5-7.