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Students from across the Hilltops region joined their peers from around the Central West and Riverina this week for the NSW Parliament Youth Parliamentary Roadshow in Cowra, taking part in a public speaking competition and youth forum focused on issues affecting young people.
The event, hosted by Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke, gave students the opportunity to engage directly with parliamentarians and government representatives while discussing topics important to their generation.
Local students Jasmine Muscat from Murrumburrah High School, Faith Freeman from Young High School and Bonny Bromham from Hennessy Catholic College represented the Hilltops region in the Public Speaking Competition, delivering speeches on topics including homelessness and the pressures faced by young people.
Ms Cooke congratulated the three students on their performances.
"It was fantastic to see three representatives from the Hilltops region reach the public speaking final," she said.
"This was an opportunity for them to explore the issues and challenges that, based on their own experiences, they believe are most important to young people in our region. They did a sterling job representing their schools and should be incredibly proud of their strong participation."
The quality of the speeches made for a difficult judging process, with Bella Starr from Scots All Saints College in Bathurst named the winner. Jonah Grimshaw from Condobolin High School and Rhys Hutchins from Parkes High School were named equal runners-up.
Following the competition, students from Cowra High School, Young High School, Boorowa Central School and Murrumburrah High School participated in a Youth Forum, where they had the opportunity to put questions directly to members of both the Upper and Lower Houses of the NSW Parliament, as well as representatives from the Office for Youth and the Parliament of NSW.
Discussions focused on housing affordability, cost of living pressures, university and TAFE pathways, career opportunities and mental health.
Ms Cooke said the forum was valuable for both students and parliamentarians.
"While it is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain experience advocating for their communities, it is also a valuable opportunity for those who sat alongside me on the panel and represent areas outside the Cootamundra electorate to better understand the issues that matter most to the next generation in our communities," she said.
Representatives attending the roadshow included Legislative Council President Ben Franklin MLC, Cate Faehrmann MLC, Scott Barrett MLC, representatives from the Office for Youth and parliamentary staff from the NSW Parliament.