Better public transport on Cairns Youth Council priority list

Free public transport for students and improved safety at bus stops are among priorities outlined by an elected youth body to help shape the future of young people in Cairns.

The Cairns Youth Council yesterday (Wednesday) presented its key advocacy priorities to Cairns Regional Council, with a focus on public transport, arts and cultural opportunities and personal development.

The country’s fourth democratically elected youth body, the Cairns Youth Council is the result of Cairns Regional Council’s participation in the Young Mayors Program, a pilot initiative by the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA), which aims to amplify young voices.

Serving an 18-month term that began in February 2024, the Youth Council’s primary mandate was to represent and advocate for the interests of young local residents.

Over the past six months, they have conducted in-depth community consultation through school engagements, at events such as Eco Fiesta, and discussions with Council representatives, network officers from Kinetic, and Members of Parliament to help form their priority agenda.

The Youth Council was allocated a $10,000 budget from FYA to implement their proposals, which include:

Transport: For young people to have access to reliable, safe and affordable public transport options that make using public transport an appealing and safe way for young people to move around the city.Arts and culture: To enhance the promotion of arts and cultural opportunities in Cairns in ways that are easily understood and accessed by young people.Development opportunities: For young people to have opportunities to explore and build skills and experiences in the areas that interest them, which are accessible, offered in a variety of locations and promoted in a way that young people can access and understand easily.​

These initiatives were the result of months of collaboration among Youth Councillors, their constituents, and stakeholders across the community.

The Council’s work was informed by real-world issues, including input from the Mission Australia Youth Survey and feedback from school visits and youth advisory groups.

Youth Councillor Sofia Hoorn said: “Our process began with deep conversations with our peers by asking, 'What do you need as a young person?'

“We opened the door to honest, insightful responses.

It allowed us to see beyond individual needs and focus on the broader young person demographic in Cairns.”

To finalise their priority agenda, the Youth Councillors used a unique and light-hearted voting process involving symbolic lollies to narrow down their long list of ideas.

Following the agenda presentation, the Youth Council will now shift their focus to working groups, each dedicated to one of the priority areas, to begin project scoping and implementation.