Whakatāne District Council is on the lookout for the next group of rangatahi who are passionate about uplifting the lives of young people in their communities and keen to bring forth the ideas they have for dealing with youth issues.

The Whakatāne District Youth Council / Te Kaunihera Taiohi o te rohe o Whakatāne aims to get young people involved in local government planning and decision-making. It gives a voice to rangatahi who live in the Whakatāne District and enables members to actively contribute to community projects across the rohe. Applications are open now for Whakatāne youths aged between 14-24 to apply to be a Youth Council member for 2022.  

One of the main tasks for the new Youth Council group this year will be to complete a Youth Strategy for the District. This follows a youth survey last year that captured the thoughts and aspirations of young people throughout the District. 

Youth Council Elected Member representative Councillor Lesley Immink says being a Youth Council member is a great learning and leadership opportunity at any time, but even more so this year.

“There’s the exciting opportunity to be involved with the completion and then implementation of the Youth Strategy. There’s an upcoming local body election in October, including the implementation of Māori Wards. And we’re in the middle of a pandemic where young people – like all of us – are figuring out how to navigate our world, and where more-than-ever rangatahi need to have their voices heard. The Youth Council of 2022 have a lot of opportunities and challenges ahead.”

Applications close at 5 pm on Friday, 4 March 2022. The application form can be found on Council’s website. To be considered, applicants will need to have a valid vaccine passport.

Find out more about the Whakatāne District Youth Council and apply online »