The Ballarat City Youth Council

The Ballarat City Senior Council, the city's local government organisation, felt the need for a youth steering committee, and felt the youth of Ballarat deserved a group in which common opinions could be voiced. So to aid them in their own decision making about issues concerning youth, they put the idea of a youth council to vote. The result was unanimous.

The Ballarat City Youth Council was formed in 1997. Cassie Lindsy (the Youth Services Officer for the Ballarat Council Offices) went on search of students interested in representing their schools or youth groups.

Ms. Lindsy quickly came across a number of students in years 11 and 12 who came forth after reading about the new council in their school's newsletters.

All of the students Cassie met with were enthusiastic about getting work under way, and a meeting date was set. It was decided that they would hold a two-hour meeting ever fortnight on Tuesdays, and that tradition has kept up.

Things began with a bang. The entire council went on a camp to help break the ice between members, and at the same time they decided that later in the year they would hold a Youth Forum for young people from all around Ballarat.

All members of the Y.C. are very active within their schools and communities. This is Ingrid and Eli.

Cassie being a funky chick in her early twenties, related well with the young people, and had no trouble in getting them to come through with their idea of a Forum and making it into a reality. The date was set for Youth Forum 1998 and the day went off well, with the Youth Counselors finding out information from young people from all around the Ballarat district. The issues they focussed on were drug usage, entertainment, sex issues, violence and self-esteem.

Information gathered from the forum was collated and distributed to health services, schools and youth groups around Ballarat, as well as being given to and discussed with all members of the Ballarat City Senior Council.

Now in its third year, the Ballarat Youth Council is working harder than ever, still holding only one forum a year, but using that information to try and solve problems around Ballarat; from entertainment and leisure activities, to school curriculums, to youth events and concerts. Last year and this year also, the Y.C. held a ten-day youth festival show casing artistic, musical and athletic talent.

They have support from many local organisations, entertainment complexes, and Ballarat health services and youth groups. They have a close alliance with all of the schools around the Ballarat area and work closely with the Ballarat Senior Council advising them on many local policies and initiatives.

The Y.C. donates money to local groups who are doing things with youth and also help support individual young people who are trying to do positive things within the community.

At the moment they are spending their fortnightly meetings discussing the ideas that came out of the forum this year with Senior Council. From the recommendations they acquired on the day from the specific youth issue groups, they can now truly act on the thoughts of the majority of youth around Ballarat.

Recommendations included;

• Letters to the Board of Education about sexual and drug education policies and curriculum content.
• The local gig organisers, Funship to receive more funding from the Y.C. to promote their all-age concerts.
• Local health services, in conjunction with the Y.C. To place "Boredom" information boards in all schools and shopping malls featuring local gig information as well as health service information.

The Y.C. has heaps of fun, both voicing opinions for the youth of Ballarat and gossiping during meetings. This is Eli and Alice, both ex-schoolcaptains, both in Y.C. and both in ThinkQuest 2000!

Now having grown in size, in both member numbers and local contacts, the Ballarat City Youth Council is one of the most active youth groups of any kind in Ballarat.

For the coming year the youth council hopes to promote awareness of itself within the community and also the recommendations from Forum 2000. Issues focused on this year were Sex Issues, Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Issues, Public Space and Social Issues.

This group is the only one of it's kind in Australia, and through their dedication to youth, Ballarat has a strong youth voice. And as long as the group continues to grow and produce solutions to local problems, they are doing an amazing job.