The Sugar City's young political aspirants are being given the opportunity to run for Youth Councillor positions and become Young Mayor of Mackay in May through a Queensland-first initiative.
Through an Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) and Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) partnership, young people will be able to participate in a ‘Young Mayors’ program, vote in the region’s first Youth Council election, and get their first look at democracy in action.
Mackay Regional Council will be the first Queensland local government to pilot the program which hopes to promote electoral participation among young people.
Despite recent Federal Election results in which young voters turned out in record numbers, concerns for local- and state-level electoral enrolments remain – a recent Australian Electoral Commission study stated participation by youth was a “great concern in many democracies today”.
Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said ECQ is delighted to be supporting this initiative which “will help young people to improve their knowledge about elections and be ready to vote when they turn 18.”
“Importantly, the program will inspire young people to learn about the electoral system and how they can influence decisions that impact their community,” Mr Vidgen said.
“The Young Mayors program will support people aged 17 and under to get elected to a youth council, positioning young people as decision-makers on issues that impact their future in the Mackay region.”
Over a week in May, young people will experience an election campaign and a week of voting to elect a 12-seat Youth Council.
Elected by their peers, the Youth Council will then nominate a Young Mayor, set an agenda for their 12-month term in office and work with the Mackay Regional Council on specific issues.
FYA’s Executive Director of Civic and Cultural Engagement Molly Whelan said local governments play a huge role in the everyday lives of people in Queensland communities, and “that includes young people. But young people are often locked out of power – consulted but never in charge”.
“This program puts young people in the driver’s seat – ensuring that council policies and programs better reflect the concerns, needs, and desires of local young people,” they said.
The Young Mayors program was designed by Foundation for Young Australians and is based on successful United Kingdom models.
Other Australian councils - in Victoria, and New South Wales – will launch their iterations of the program across 2023 and 2024, with Mackay the first of a proposed number of Local Councils in Queensland to participate.
Youth Council members can be as young as 11, and more information can be found online at: https://www.fya.org.au/young-mayors-mackay/
A Queensland-first Young Mayors program has begun in Mackay with election canvassing to start in May for a ‘Youth Council’
Image: Supplied
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Mackay and Whitsunday Life Pty Ltd.
