Tamworth Regional Council has rallied behind a set of proposals regarding the education, safety, and wellbeing of the region's youth.
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At its latest meeting, council voted to support three initiatives designed by the Tamworth Regional Youth Council: promoting connectivity between schools in the region; increasing young people's access to facilities at the Youthie; and a "Youth in Boots" event at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2024.
![Councillor Marc Sutherland spoke in facour of the Tamworth Regional Youth Council's initiatives. File picture by Peter Hardin Councillor Marc Sutherland spoke in facour of the Tamworth Regional Youth Council's initiatives. File picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/02ef72b5-4355-4123-a6a7-0f464131ba43.jpg/r0_0_5105_3403_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's great to see the youth council putting forward some more really positive recommendations. I think the involvement our youth is able to have across broad youth leadership spaces brings beneficial knowledge back into our community," councillor Marc Sutherland said in support of the youth council's motions.
Council will now apply for grant funding from the state government on behalf of their younger counterparts.
If approved, the NSW government could supply up to $50,000 for each project through its Youth Opportunities Program.
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Youth councillor Caitlin Blanch put the three initiatives forward at a recent youth council meeting and was met with widespread support among her fellow youth councillors.
The first proposal, tentatively titled 'Youth in Boots', aims to create a "chill out zone" at the 2024 Tamworth Country Music Festival with fun-filled, family-focused activities adding to the festival's long list of free events.
"Young people are a big part of the festival, and having that included in there is a terrific idea," Cr Sutherland said of the proposal.
The second initiative would implement "study buddy" sessions at the Youthie for students in years 11 and 12.
In addition, the proposal advocates for adding safe transportation options for students to use to reach the Youthie in the hopes of promoting accessible learning.
This proposal was made just three days after a woman and her daughter were traumatised by a violent attempted carjacking in the Youthie's carpark.
However, youth councillors also advocate for the "removal of the stigma" associated with the Youthie, which they say provides excellent facilities and a "wonderful space" for kids.
This leads to their third proposal, which is promoting opportunities at the Youthie through fostering greater connection between schools in the Tamworth region, both public and private.
The project would aim to eliminate misconceptions around the facility to help it reach its full potential as a vibrant and inclusive meeting space.
As council applies for funding for these projects, it's also in the process of writing a dedicated Tamworth Regional Youth Strategy.
At their latest meeting, councillors were provided an update on the strategy's development by Director of Growth and Prosperity Jacqueline O'Neill, who said pre-development research has been completed and that work on the strategy's first draft will begin in August.
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