Kids rule the chamber in Junior Council session
Published on 13 March 2025
The next generation of budding mayors and councillors have been given a taste of life in the Council chamber.
Last Friday, 36 students from 12 local primary schools met Mayor Daria Kellander at the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre for the latest meeting of Junior Council.
They gave the Mayor updates on what was happening in their school communities, and asked questions and raised issues that were affecting them, including the importance of cyber safety, the addition of pedestrian crossings in certain areas, the installation of new water fountains, and the potential for Council to host a kids-only fun run to promote Hobsons Bay.
“It was such a great day. The enthusiasm and ideas kids have for making their part of the world better is always inspiring, so it was so much fun to listen to their ideas on how to make Hobsons Bay better,” Cr Kellander said.
Junior Council has been a special part of local life for decades, having started as Altona Junior Council more than 60 years ago.
In total, 17 local primary schools are part of the current program, which runs every couple of months.
The initiative aims to give young students a chance to experience how a council operates, discuss community issues, and develop public speaking and leadership skills.