Bridgewater council is hoping to add some fresh, young voices to the table.
A youth advisory committee is being assembled.
Mayor David Mitchell hopes it will help open a dialogue between local government and the young people who live here.
He says it’s time to stop talking about engaging youth and actually do something.
“After eight years on council and saying the same thing ‘how come youth say there’s nothing to do here?’ this is to youth finally to formally say ‘there’s nothing to do here and this is what we want to see.’”
Mitchell is hoping a new youth advisory committee will be a step in the right direction.
“We don’t hear from them and we don’t engage them, but with this committee they’ll be engaged, and they’ll have our ear, and they’ll have a voice, and we’ll have that two-way communication that we don’t have now.”
Mitchell says he’s already heard from several people who are interested in being on the committee.
The deadline for applications is at the end of February.