Whitehorse News - April 2024

Council is proud to have groups of young people representing our younger residents’ views and issues, supported by our Youth Services team.  These include the Whitehorse Youth Representative Committee, our FreeZa Flying Pig Events Committee and our YMCA Victorian Youth Parliament team. Here's what they've been up to lately.

Taking action on youth cyber safety

The Whitehorse Youth Representative Committee presented the group’s 2023 annual report at Council’s meeting on Monday 15 April. They were represented by group members Sankara, Nikita, Lalita and Marsha.

The report covered key aspects of the committee’s work last year including training, facilitating a youth forum, and running the youth area at the Whitehorse Spring Festival.

During 2023, the group members also spent an extensive period consulting their peers on youth issues. They identified cyber safety and mental health as issues of major importance to young people in Whitehorse and presented these findings in a separate report to councillors.

In 2024, the WRYC will be implementing a Cyber Safety Project to further support young people to navigate the digital world safely. The committee believes there is “an important need for grassroots responses by Council and the community to improve online safety”. 

Council will also consider prioritising youth mental health in the next iteration of the Whitehorse Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Councillors congratulated the WYRC on its extensive work so far and extended their best wishes for the project and the rest of the year.

Youth Parliament team preparing bill

Six young people will be part of Whitehorse’s team at this year’s YMCA Youth Parliament, which will be held at Parliament House during the Term 2 school holidays.

Youth parliament is a program run by YMCA in collaboration with Youth Services that gives young people aged 16 to 25 a chance to be heard at the highest levels of the State Government.

Whitehorse’s 2024 team includes members Danica, Leroy, Gavyn, Nhan, Amy and Angela. 

They are developing a bill around the topic of more education in schools on cultural competency, intersectionality and intergenerational trauma.

The team will present and then debate the bill with other groups during the week of youth parliament.

FreeZa Flying Pigs update

Our Flying Pigs Committee plans and stages live music and other all-ages drug, alcohol and vape-free events throughout Whitehorse.

After the first event late last month, Music in the Mall will return to the red activation pod at Box Hill Mall on Friday 10 May from 4.30pm. It will feature free live music from local artists.

The committee has also started planning for Whitehorse’s annual Battle of the Bands contest, to be staged in the second half of 2024.

Follow the @youtheventswhitehorse Instagram page for up-to-date news and event information.