A team of passionate young leaders has been selected to represent Geelong at the Victorian Youth Parliament and is currently drafting a Bill on a state-based issue important to young people.
The Geelong team’s Bill to be debated in Parliament House is 'Improved Access and Suitable Care to Mental Health Bill 2024'.
The team has a wealth of leadership and advocacy experience, having served as members of the Youth Council, Geelong Youth Advisory Board, and Youth on Board - programs facilitated by the City of Greater Geelong’s Youth Development Unit, which also coordinates the Geelong Youth Parliament team.
The Victorian Youth Parliament is a program run by YMCA Youth Services that is championing the voices of young people aged 16-25, providing them with a unique platform to influence state legislation.
The program features regular meetings, mentor support, stakeholder discussions, a weekend skills development camp, and culminates in a highlight event: a sitting week held in the chambers of Parliament House in Melbourne in early July.
During sitting week, Youth Parliamentarians introduce, debate, and vote on their Bills. The Bills that pass are formally presented to the Minister for Youth, who then disseminates them to relevant state Members of Parliament for consideration.
Through the Victorian Youth Parliament, young people have successfully influenced legislation on critical issues such as mental health, education, and the environment.
Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan
This program is a wonderful opportunity for our region’s young people, especially those who are interested in areas such as politics, activism, social justice and law.
The ambition and accomplishments of the Geelong Youth Parliament team is inspiring, and I congratulate them on their dedication to make a positive impact at a parliamentary level.
It’s more than just a program; it’s a catalyst for change and gives our region’s young people the tools, confidence, and platform to turn their ideas into legislation.
YMCA Victoria Youth Parliament Youth Governor Kaitlin Woolford
The Geelong team’s Bill is an important topic and we are excited to hear them debate it in Parliament House.
We are lucky to have so many regional teams such as City of Greater Geelong come onto our program and advocate for their communities.
Watching the growth of the teams, in particular, the City of Greater Geelong team, during the Bill drafting process has been such a delight.
So much change has come from Youth Parliament, for example, 24-hour public transport, mandatory wearing of bicycle helmets and safe injecting centres, all came from the young people in our state and I think that is something we can all be proud of.
Youth Parliament team member Daniel
The program gives me and the other young people in my team a chance to work together on an issue which we all care about as well as learning important skills and being able to develop networks to take to the parliament.
We hope we can play a part in helping people in Geelong and all across Victoria lead better lives and inspire other local young people to get involved.