Students help council shape future of region

STUDENTS from five high schools came together at the inaugural Ballina Shire Youth Forum on Tuesday to share ideas on breaking down stereotypes, improving services and creating a safer, more inclusive community.

About 80 students attended the event at the Lennox Head Cultural Centre, which was hosted by Ballina Shire Council as part of its Community Strategic Plan for the next decade.

Meggan-Lee Drew from Richmond Christian College said her group wanted to represent students from Wardell and West Ballina.

“We want to break down the stereotypes and build a safer community that we can call home,” she said.

“There are a lot of stereotypes around those areas, and we hear a lot of first-hand stories of bad experiences.

“We just want to have our say in what the future looks like and how we can all work together.”

In the lead-up to the forum, 394 young people aged 10–24 completed a youth-led survey, delivered through a partnership between council and the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

Feedback gathered at the forum will be used to inform council’s strategic plan.

Max Raguse from Emmanuel Anglican College said he hoped the needs of inland students would be considered.

“There’s a large demographic of students who don’t live on the coast and we want to make sure they’re included,” he said.

“The council put in the skatepark at Wollongbar a few years ago and there are talks of doing up the old Alstonville library and making it a community space. That would be a good way to bring the youth together.”

Ballina Shire mayor Sharon Cadwallader, who opened the forum, said students would play a key role in shaping the future of the region.