Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council

Welcome to the Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council

What is LMYAC?

The Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council provides an opportunity for young people in Brisbane to become involved in civic issues as well as fostering an interest in grass roots community issues. Young people identify issues and engage with each other through the Action Initiators and regular LMYAC public meetings with the Lord Mayor. Young people are encouraged to provide feedback and give their opinion about Council policies, local laws, services and programs that effect young people across the city.

Meeting Format

4 LMYAC meetings are held throughout the year (1 held every term). Meetings are chaired by the Lord Mayor and discussions facilitated by the Youth Team in Council. Young people are given the opportunity to provide input and share their ideas on 3 – 4 Council initiatives during the workshop component of each meeting.

LMYAC delegates act as representatives from their school and community, and are a voice for raising issues or sharing ideas that affect young people in Brisbane.

Young people have access to the following mechanisms to provide input and raise issues or ideas: -

1) LMYAC meetings: Young people directly raise and explore issues or ideas with the Lord Mayor.

2) Action Initiators: A tool for young people to raise community or group issues. Delegates will engage and work with their friends, family, teachers and school peers to raise specific issues that Council should be responding to.

Our Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council Experience

Hi! My name is Mac Lyon and along with Julia McMahon I initiated the Free 4 All Skate Park workshops.  The initiative behind this idea came from my youngers siblings who are keen scooter riders.

They would love to use the skate bowls but feel that the older kids who hang around these areas are intimidating and therefore they are not comfortable going there.

As a result the Free 4 All Workshops came into being.  Julia and I promoted the event by visiting the local primary schools with flyers, articles in the school newsletters and speaking on assemblies.

I also organised the local Quest newspaper to run an article about the proposed workshops. I was a little disappointed when they did not include it in the paper leading up to the event, but they have since run the story and from this I have had even more kids interested in attending the next one.

As for improving it, perhaps some prizes for participation and having a go or even getting a local business to support it with refreshments/snacks could be good.

Overall I was really pleased with the outcome and am looking forward to the next one.  It was great to see the younger kids enjoying the Skate Bowl and feeling like they too belong there.

Mac

The Gap State High School