Yass Valley Councillor, Nathan Furry, has voiced his support for the Youth Week 2018 Forum, and has already found a small group of volunteers who will travel to Sydney to attend.
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The forum, which will take place on April 12, is open to any local youths who have an interest in local politics and youth issues.
It will allow a platform for a wide variety of topics to be covered, and any issue pertaining to young people can be raised and addressed in a formal setting.
The Yass Valley Youth Council has already found three members willing to attend, and Cr Furry said that the event will provide an invaluable opportunity for regional issues to be addressed.
“I think that’s especially why it’s important that we do have a presence at the forum,” Cr Furry said.
“Because I think it’s easy for regional issues to get lost.
“Certainly I think mental health and access to facilities and services in regional NSW … unfortunately our geographical locality places us in a position where we often get lost among the population of Sydney.
“It’s important that we have a strong presence, not just Yass but all regional areas of NSW.”
Representatives from all over the state will be in attendance at the forum, which accepts people anywhere between 12 and 24 years of age.
The event is being held by the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP), and will see up to 150 youths attend the forum.
With such a large number of attendees, Cr Furry is aware that the event will provide an opportunity for the Yass delegates to build on the skills they will need if they are aiming for a career in public office.
“Youth councillors need to have the ability to advocate locally as well, and then take that to the advocate to be able to communicate that,” Cr Furry said.
“I think that any opportunity that can be taken to build their skills and their experiences and allow them to advocate on behalf of their community should be taken.
“One of the reasons behind the Youth Council, for example, is to allow young people to be advocates for their issues within their community.”
The forum will be held for one day only on April 12 at NSW Parliament House from 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Food a refreshments will be provided, and any young people from Yass interested in attending or discussing an issue that they want represented at the forum should contact the Yass Valley Youth Council page.
