A RECORD 61 young people took part in the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council, the largest cohort yet for the program.
Established in 2007, the IYAC, consisting of members aged 13-18, gives feedback to Ipswich City Council on policies, procedures and projects to ensure youth perspectives are represented.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Council was proud to support the development of young people through the IYAC program.
“The City of Ipswich has the youngest population in South East Queensland, and it is essential that young people are actively involved in shaping our city’s future,” Cr Harding said.
“Input from IYAC has helped shape youth cultural programming, health and wellbeing initiatives, and responses to social priorities such as homelessness and disaster recovery.
“Over the past 12 months, members contributed to the Ipswich 2032 Legacy Roadmap, Strategic Regulation Policy, the Ipswich Film Festival for Youth, Active and Healthy Ipswich, and the Ipswich Central Urban Design Framework.”
Community and Sport Committee Chairman Jacob Madsen said the 2025 IYAC cohort embraced opportunities to build leadership skills and learn about civic engagement.
“These experiences strengthened their understanding of civic engagement and showcased their ability to influence major initiatives while developing leadership and communication skills,” Cr Madsen said.
IYAC member Saachi, 13, said the program helped develop confidence and showed the value of civic engagement.
“Through IYAC, my leadership skills have improved and I now have the courage to stand up and engage in discussions. It taught me to project my voice, my passion and my thoughts,” Saachi said.
Samuel, 15, said the IYAC program provided practical experience with local government and community service.
“I learned how many moving parts are involved in making a city thrive. IYAC showed me that being part of Council means identifying problems and working together to solve them,” Samuel said.
Applications for the 2026 IYAC program are now open to young people aged 13-18.
