When standing for the Mayoralty I was keen to have a youth voice in some forum to help Council when making decisions. CHB has 2000 young people within the ages of 12 and 24. While most of our young ones are doing well I am aware that some have fallen through the gaps.

The formation of a Youth Council will bring their perspective to Council and may influence the community's future direction.

I'm inspired by Mayor Dale Williams of Otorohanga and his brilliant work with youth and the Mayoral Taskforce for Jobs. Networking with CYFs, Police, Ministry of Social Development, Schools and employers etc will help us to make those connections and catch them instead of being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. For example we can help kids get jobs instead of sitting around at home and the Youth Council can tell us what their real concerns are and what is in their minds.

If you know of any young people who may be interested click on this link