Image: Mayor Rhys Williams and Councillor Amber Kearns with 2021 Junior Deputy Mayor Zoe Thompson and Junior Mayor Tamsyn Hill, and 2022 Junior Mayor Indiana Chalwell and Junior Deputy Mayor Sydney Pettit.
“Grab hold of all opportunities and put yourself out there.”
That was the message for the new Mandurah Junior Council from outgoing Junior Mayor Tamsyn Hill at the official Junior Mayoral Chain handover event recently.
After holding their elections to nominate the new Junior Mayor and Deputy Junior Mayor virtually in March, the 2022 Mandurah Junior Council came together last week to congratulate the outgoing leaders and welcome the new members.
2021 Junior Mayor Hill told the new junior councillors to “Remember to enjoy yourself and take pride in all that you do and all that you achieve as a group. I hope this experience will be as unforgettable for you as it was for me”.
The Mandurah Junior Council consists of 40 year six students from the 20 primary schools across Mandurah, providing young councillors with a unique opportunity to learn about Local Government and voice their opinions on things that matter to them.
During the election process to nominate the new Junior Mayor, 22 of the 40 junior councillors nominated for the top position, each giving a speech to their peers as to why they deserved the role.
Indiana Chalwell from St Damien’s Catholic Primary School was elected the 2022 Junior Mayor, and Sydney Pettit from Lakelands Primary School was elected 2022 Deputy Junior Mayor.
Mayor Rhys Williams and Councillor Amber Kearns congratulated the outgoing Junior and Deputy Junior Mayor and welcomed the new incumbents at the chain handover.
The 2022 Junior Council has agreed that they would address racism as their project topic, which is presented to Mandurah Council later in the year.
The Mandurah Junior Council was first established in 1985 to enable young people to have a voice in their community and to learn about local government. Since its inception, some of the format has changed, but the original objective has remained the same; to empower young people within Mandurah and equip them with the skills to step up as leaders today and into the future.
