Port Kembla student Abbey Brooks advocates for Illawarra youth in state advisory group

The Port Kembla student, who has a passion for helping others, has taken on the responsibility to advocate for young people on a state level.

The 15-year-old is one of the leaders from across NSW selected to represent children and young people in the 2024 Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

The council is tackling major issues affecting young people, including youth homelessness and natural disasters.

"When we were speaking to the minister [for youth] we spoke about the droughts that are about to happen and how we can again help," Abbey said.

The council also want students to learn about "simple life stuff" at school, such as how to file a tax return, create a budget and maintain a healthy diet.

The 12 leaders aged between 12 to 24 were chosen from a pool of 717 applicants.

NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Zoë Robinson, will support the council and said they have a unique opportunity to change the state for the better.

"We know that young people want to have a say in the policies, legislation and services that impact their lives, this is one of the ways that government facilitates that voice," Ms Robinson said.

The YAC leaders are located across the state, including Newcastle, Mount Druitt, Dubbo, Lismore and Monaro.

The group met in October to discuss their aspirations and how they could advocate for their local communities.

"We really want this and the next year to be the time that we speak up and we fight for what we want," Abbey said.

"Everybody deserves somebody to advocate for them."

She is passionate about advocating for youth mental health and generational trauma broadly, including substance abuse issues and addictions.

"A lot of people may have parents who have substance abuse issues ... and it's a learnt behaviour," she said.

"How can we break those cycles and what can we put in place to make sure that it doesn't keep going?"

The Minister for Youth Rose Jackson met the young leaders in October and said a crucial part of creating better outcomes for young people was to amplify the voices of youth with lived experiences.

"The diverse members of the Youth Advisory Council will provide valuable advice to the NSW Government on matters that directly impact young people, while also sharing their inspiring vision for the future," she said.

Abbey is a Year 9 student at Five Islands Secondary College and is excited to be part of the change.

"In the next year, I'm really excited to obviously get closer with my community and gain really just a deeper understanding of the real-life problems that people are facing."