Eleven young people from across Queensland have been chosen to represent their peers and help shape Queensland’s future following their selection for the new Queensland Youth Engagement Panel (QYEP).
Minister for Youth, Di Farmer said she was looking forward to hearing from the young members about their views on a range of issues and ideas across a broad range of government business.
“Young people experience the effects of laws and policies in our state in different ways than Queenslanders who are a bit older,” she said.
“That final year of high school, those first steps into tertiary education or employment, moving out of home and establishing yourself as an adult – that’s an incredibly important transitional period in a young person’s life.
“We have this contradiction though, where we expect young people to leave school and suddenly become responsible adults, but we don’t always provide them with the opportunity or take the trouble to listen enough to their ideas or points of view, even about the very things which affect them.
“This Youth Engagement Panel is a way to change that.
“We’re bringing together a panel of young people between 17 and 25 years old who have important things to tell us about government and policy development from their perspective as young people.
“Between them they share a wealth of lived experience, and I’m looking forward to hearing their thoughts and advice on how we can do things better for young people in Queensland.”
The eleven new panellists announced include Ayoka Wong from Townsville; Lane Brookes from Roma; Dominic McCarthy from Mackay and Alicia Channell from Toowoomba. Across the Brisbane region panellists include Nadia Saeed; Tasman Bain; Kate McLennan; Chantel Moody; Maddison Henaway; Camille Bowman and Jayden Parsons.
Ms Farmer congratulated the panel for putting themselves forward and getting involved.
“This is a really important role they’ve taken on, to stand up and represent young people across Queensland,” she said.
“If we want to truly represent Queenslanders, we need to include the voices of young people as we shape future laws and policies.
“When you think about it, our young people are the Queenslanders who are most affected by decisions we make, as they can expect to live for many decades more – and yet very often it’s older people who are making those important decisions.
“These 11 young Queenslanders will make sure the voices of young people are heard as we deliver on the Our Future State plan and realise the commitments in the Queensland Youth Strategy.”
QYEP is facilitated by the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women as a key action of the Queensland Youth Strategy.
