The City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council is an advisory and advocacy committee whose role is to represent the voice of young people who live, work and/or study in the City of Greater Bendigo. The Youth Council achieves this by:

• Providing advice to the City of Greater Bendigo Council on plans, strategies, policies and projects so that they better align to the needs of young people;
• Engaging with young people to identify their priorities; and
• Advocating on issues that directly impact young people.

The City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council comprises of up to eighteen young people aged between 14 and 24. Membership of the City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council is voluntary and therefore requires members to be registered as volunteers with the City of Greater Bendigo.

City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council Goals

The goals of the Youth Council are to:

• Provide opportunities for young people to have their say and influence Council policies, plans, strategies and projects.
• Promote young people as valuable citizens who make a positive contribution to the community.
• Provide opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills.
• Provide the opportunity for Councillors to meet, hear and learn from young people.
• Provide opportunities for young people to consult with the wider community.

What does Youth Council involve?

The Youth Council meets twice a month between February and November every year – usually the second and the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6pm. Meetings are usually about two hours long.

Youth Councillors are required to read all documents before meetings and provide feedback and direction during meetings. Youth Councillors will also vote on items when required.

Youth Councillors will also be invited to attend City of Greater Bendigo events and be offered the opportunity to be members of various City of Greater Bendigo advisory committees.

Every year, Youth Councillors elect a Youth Mayor and two Deputy Youth Mayors for a 12-month term. Elections for Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor are held at the February Youth Council Meeting. Elections are held via an anonymous ballot.

During the February Youth Council Meeting, Youth Councillors also decide on their priorities for the year. A working group is then formed for each priority area with a minimum of four Youth Councillors as members. These working groups are chaired by a member of the Youth Council who is not the Youth Mayor or one of the Deputy Youth Mayors.

The Youth Council have identified three broad priorities for 2024 that directly relate to young people. The priority areas are: Advocacy, Engagement and Experience. Each priority area has a working group.

Who can be a Youth Councillor?

To be eligible to be a member of the City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council applicants must:

• Be between the age of 14 and 24 years (Youth Councillors are required to resign when they turn 25).
• Live, work and/or study in Greater Bendigo.
• Hold a valid Working with Children Check (volunteer level) and Police Check if 18 years and older.
• Not be an employee of the City of Greater Bendigo.

This includes young people from all backgrounds and experiences, living in all areas of Greater Bendigo, who are eager to develop leadership skills, advocate for young people and make a difference in the community.

Youth Council Application Process

Youth Council Membership is determined via a recruitment process, this includes a City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council Expression of Interest application addressing selection criteria, an interview and a referee check.

Applicants are required to provide responses to the following questions:

1. Why would you like to be a City of Greater Bendigo Youth Councillor?
2. Why do you think you would make a good Youth Councillor? (e.g. what skills, qualities or experience do you have?)
3. What do you see as the top issues for young people in Greater Bendigo that could be Youth Council priorities?

Applicants will be assessed on their response to criteria in their Expression of Interest and Interview.

How to Apply for Youth Council?

Expressions of interest for the 2025 - 2026 Youth Council term have now closed.