Wairoa’s new Youth Council gained grassroots knowledge of Council activities last week.

The inaugural Youth Council meeting was held on Monday and included a visit to the wastewater plant.

A key role of the group is to assist Council with its planning processes and projects, with a focus on the provision of services and facilities that have a potential impact on young people. It will also be a vehicle for identifying local youth needs and resources and develop youth leadership skills through experience of representation processes, local government and civic activities.

The Youth Council has been created by the Wairoa District Council to provide a local youth voice and perspective to support the decision-making process at Local Government level.

The group comprises of nominated representatives from throughout the district who were selected by a Council panel.

Wairoa District Councillor Melissa Kaimoana currently chairs the Youth Council.

She said the inception of a Youth Council has been an initiative dreamt of by some of the longer standing Councillors for some time and is a development the entire Council is celebrating.

“The Youth Council displays strong capability and a very diverse personality.

“A standout is the richness of te reo Māori speakers that this initiative has brought to our chambers.

“The Rangatahi Council has been given the opportunity to identify the workstreams they are most interested in and to assist and become familiar with Council’s responsibilities. The roopu have agreed to workshop with officers over the huge mahi that is our district council.

“The Youth Council memberships willingness to learn is a very good demonstration of leadership and signals that our future will be in good hands.”

Youth Council members will be appointed for a three-year term in-line with local government elections timeframes with the meetings held every six-weeks.

Caption: some of the new Wairoa Youth Council members on site at the Wairoa wastewater plant along with Council’s Group Manager Community Assets and Services Stephen Heath.

1 March 2021

Back to Archive