Nillumbik Youth Council

Purpose and objectives

The Nillumbik Youth Council acts as a peak advisory group to Council, advocating for opportunities, barriers and/or issues impacting on young people in Nillumbik, and providing advice to Council about how these issues can be addressed.

Youth Council will be responsible for supporting the planning, delivery and evaluation of the Nillumbik Youth Strategy and Implementation Plan, which sets out the priorities and actions for Youth Council to lead, with the support of Council, across their two year term.

The Committee’s objectives are to:

  • Advocate for opportunities, barriers and/or issues impacting on young people in Nillumbik
  • Provide feedback and advice to Council on how to best meet local youth needs
  • Consider and provide advice to Council on its policies, plans and services that impact young people
  • Consider and provide advice on key government initiatives, programs and reviews
  • Represent the diverse views and needs of young people within Nillumbik Youth Council  
  • Assist Council to communicate, consult and engage more effectively with the broader Nillumbik community
  • Strengthen partnerships with residents, community groups and services in Nillumbik
  • Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of Nillumbik’s Youth Strategy and Implementation Plan 

     

Meeting frequency

Formal Advisory Committee meetings are held on the first Monday of every month from 4.30pm to 6.30pm at the Civic Centre in Greensborough.

Additional sub-committee meetings may be held on an as-needs basis.

Committee period

The current Committee was appointed for a two-year term which commenced on 3 April 2023. 

Members

This Committee is chaired by the current Youth Council Mayor or Deputy Mayor.

A Councillor representative is appointed annually at Council's Extraordinary Meeting held in November (currently Mayor Cr Ben Ramcharan).

Committee members

The Committee comprises the following representatives endorsed by Council:

Committee member About
Orianna Edmonds (Mayor) Orianna lives in St Andrews, she is excited to bring help bring new perspective, fresh ideas, learn new things about herself and be part of a community of young people on a mission. Orianna feels strongly about encouraging the youth of today to be respectful, resilient, compassionate, have the heart of giving back and to know their worth and purpose.
Niamh Coffey (Deputy Mayor) Niamh lives in Eltham North. Niamh joined Youth Council to ensure the voice of all young people are heard and to bring safety and equity to all community members. Niamh is passionate about social equity, mental health and the climate crisis. Niamh’s goals for Youth Council this year include creating opportunities for a wider range of young people to have their voice heard and advocating for extra youth support systems that address mental health and accessibility.
Kai Biviano Kai lives in Diamond Creek. Kai joined Youth Council in the hope to create change for people like them and be a voice for good in the Nillumbik community. Kai is passionate about making spaces friendly and accessible for transgender and disabled peoples as well as addressing the current mental health crisis facing young people.
Martina Charalambous Martina lives in Eltham North. Martina joined Youth Council to gain experience in leadership and to contribute her ideas for the community. Martina is passionate about mobile phone addiction, social connection and sustainability. Martina would like to work with local schools to bring young people together away from their phones. Martina is passionate about social connection, feminism and mental health. 
Elysia Cheche Elysia lives in Diamond Creek. Elysia would like to make the community a collaborative and safe space where people are encouraged to talk about issues they are passionate about and are given the opportunity to advocate for. Elysia is passionate about gender equity, the environment and social connections for young people. 
Bailey Cumming Bailey is from Diamond Creek. Bailey is excited to represent the views of the other youth members in Nillumbik, and actively be involved in decision making. He is hoping his time in the Youth Council will improve his skills in leadership, teamwork and decision making. Bailey would like to get more young people participating in activities that get them out of the house and connecting with their peers.
Soren Kean Soren lives in Eltham. Soren is hoping to have a positive impact on the Nillumbik community and help advocate for young people and our environment. Soren is passionate about biodiversity in Nillumbik, the indigenous flora and fauna populations and youth employment. 
Emmika Kent  Emmika lives in Eltham. Emmika is excited to be involved in the community and is passionate about advocating for and supporting young people. Emmika would like to be able to have more input into helping the community in any way that I can. Emmika is passionate about indigenous rights, gender equality and mental health.
Samuel Kelso Samuel lives in Eltham. Samuel is hoping to apply his organisational skills to help the local community. Samuel is looking forward to gaining experience in local government to support him to share his voice on issues he is passionate about including sustainability and inclusion.
Scarlett Magnanini Scarlett lives in Eltham. Scarlett is looking forward to working with other like-minded people in the Youth Council to support our community's best interests and needs, by representing the youth population as honestly as possible. Being passionate about cultural, social and gender equity, Scarlett hopes to bring awareness, and ensure that everyone in our community feels supported and included. Scarlett is passionate about cultural, social and gender inclusion along with mental health and the environment. 
Sophie Mcdonald Sophie lives in Diamond Creek. Sophie believes Youth Council is an amazing opportunity to have the chance to have a say on issues that affect young people, as well as hear the thoughts and ideas of other passionate young people. Sophie is excited to be part of the Youth council and lead active change in the community. Sophie is passionate about gender equity, climate action and youth leadership.
Ayelet Yahav Zloof Ayelet lives in North Warrandyte. Ayelet would like to grow their experience and put their ideas and thoughts into developing the youth hub. Ayelet is passionate about mental health, LGBTIQA+ community and social connections for young people. 
Emily Yin Emily lives in Greensborough. Emily is excited to have a positive impacted on the young people in the area and wants to create fun and exciting things for them. Emily hopes to make change to our local community and help better bring voice to youth. Emily is passionate about social connection, safe spaces and feminism. 

 

Agenda

The Agenda for the next Committee meeting is uploaded one week prior to the meeting date. 

Minutes

Minutes from each Committee meeting are confirmed at the next meeting of the Committee. 

Terms of Reference

The current Terms of Reference were adopted by Council on 13 December 2022. 

View the Nillumbik Youth Council Terms of Reference(PDF, 460KB)

 

More information

The Committee is supported by Council’s Youth Development department.

 

For further information please email nillumbik@nillumbik.vic.gov.au or telephone 03 9433 3111.

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