We want ‘more places for rangatahi to just be’, say Manurewa youth

Manurewa rangatahi have been spelling out what they want in their community.

The Manurewa Youth Council (MYC) shared the feedback with the Manurewa Local Board at its monthly business meeting on Thursday.

Juanita Paul, who is part of the MYC hauora and communications teams, updated elected members on the group's work and what young people had been telling them.

“What the rangatahi are telling us they want to see more is more youth spaces, more places for rangatahi to just be, information on voting, more youth events, more educational resources, more insights around the local board, support with job-seeking after high school.”

Young people had also raised questions about their rights and navigating a changing environment.

MYC chairperson Madison Franklin said the feedback was gathered at different community events, where rangatahi were asked directly what they wanted to see, with the same issues repeatedly emerging.

The Manurewa Local Board heard from the Manurewa Youth Council about the priorities rangatahi want to see addressed in their community. Photo/Auckland Council

MYC has 24 members aged between 13 and 24, representing 15 ethnic backgrounds. Fourteen members are Māori, Pacific or both, while 16 and 17-year-olds make up the largest age group, with eight members.

For 16 of the members, MYC was their first experience of leadership, while only three held official leadership roles at school.

The group has also taken young people's views beyond Manurewa, making submissions on eight bills before Parliament.

“That was kind of the whole point of MYC being founded, was to make sure that Parliament and local governance do hear youth voice and make sure that it's valued,” Franklin said.

MYC is now planning a Q&A with candidates standing in the Manurewa electorate ahead of this year's general election, following a similar event around last year's local elections.

“We're hoping to get all four candidates for the Manurewa electorate to come in and be able to do a Q&A so rangatahi can hear directly from them and actually see who they are and what they do in the community,” Franklin said.

MYC's youth space in Manurewa had 784 sign-ins by August 10, putting it on track to pass the 921 recorded last year.

Franklin said the current figure was likely closer to 860 because several recent sign-in sheets had yet to be digitised.

MYC will mark its 15th anniversary in November, with celebrations planned alongside its AGM in early December.

Franklin, who has been with the Youth Council for six years, will step down from her role at the end of the year but plans to remain involved as external support.

Deputy board chair Italia Tipelu-Marsters asked whether MYC could consider developing a youth plan or strategy as a living document for future generations, which the local board could potentially partner on.

Franklin said the idea was something the group was interested in exploring.

“We're definitely going to make sure that we're doing more of the long-term succession planning and making sure that we're leaving a strong legacy behind.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.