Wangaratta High School students Toby Miliankos-King and Chloe Dowell put mental health at the top of the list of issues affecting youth in their community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While one year separates the pair in age, they bring personal passions to their new roles of mayor and deputy mayor of the youth council.
Chloe, 16, was involved in the council last year.
"Our main focus was a mental health survey, and we're trying to work on making those results better - they’re lower than what we want," she said.
"Most of the Wangaratta councillors are the older generations and they have some idea of what the youth want, but you can't get a better say than from the youth themselves."
A joint research project commissioned by Wangaratta Council, Understanding the needs of young people in Wangaratta, surveyed 1412 youth and found the majority of young people reported life is going well, but one in four said they were often unhappy.
Survey results identified "young people face many challenges such as bullying, mental health, cyber-bullying and texting, alcohol and drugs, relationships and friendships, education, family, physical health, being alone, as well as personal safety and violence".
The results will help inform the 2019 to 2021 Youth Action Plan and the work of this year's youth council.
Related:
Four schools are represented in the 10-member group, which has been running since 1966.
Toby said the youth council had aided a push for recent upgrades to Wangaratta's skate park.
"I think we need more activities for youth," he said.
"Any concerns people have, we can take to the council.
"My family were excited and proud when they found out I was appointed mayor."
Wangaratta councillors Harry Bussell and Ashlee Fitzpatrick were former youth councillors, which Chloe found heartening.
"Also the previous youth mayor before my first year was young citizen of the year," she said.
"I'm interested in making a difference in the community."
