A SWAN Hill council hopeful will campaign for more youth involvement in the community and better avenues of communication between the council and the public.
Chris Jeffery, a 29-year-old Country Fire Authority officer, is the first person in the Swan Hill municipality to publicly declare his interest in contesting local government elections in October.
He told The Guardian he would like to see Swan Hill Rural City Council’s youth services program expanded and, if elected, would push for council to have a greater social media presence.
Debate about the council’s role in the youth sector flared recently when former councillor Michael Adamson pushed for the council to provide less financial support for local young people.
But Mr Jeffrey said the council only spent about $250,000 on the program, which catered for the 4000 young people in the municipality.
“Council’s definitely got a role in developing our future leaders and providing a venue for young kids to be involved, be engaged, understand council, understand their community,” he said.
“That’s where having a few council staff members paid to organise these events and do the hard work will get more kids engaged.”
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Friday’s Guardian (June 3, 2016).
