Winning student design to brighten Young roundabout

A Young High School student's creative vision will become part of the town landscape after taking out Hilltops Council's second annual Roundabout Design Competition. Dakota Bourke's winning planting design, created during the 2026 School Careers Expo at the PCYC Young, will be brought to life by Council staff this spring at the roundabout on the corner of Lynch and Cloete streets. The competition forms part of Hilltops Council's careers expo display, encouraging students to explore landscape design while discovering the range of careers available within local government. Hilltops Council Youth Officer Georgia Thomaidis said the activity was quickly becoming the most popular attraction at their careers expo display. Around 80 students entered the competition this year, using a roundabout template and a selection of suitable plants to create their own designs. "It's a fun way to get young people involved and show them what council does," Ms Thomaidis said. "We're getting a lot more students coming through our display, asking questions and finding out about career opportunities within council." Entries are judged by Hilltops Council Open Spaces Coordinator Ted Hill and his team, with the winning design selected on both creativity and practicality to ensure it can be successfully planted and maintained. An Encouragement Award was presented to Gracie Parks from Young Public School in recognition of the care and attention she put into her design, including her thoughtful selection of plants. The Roundabout Design Competition was held as part of the 2026 School Careers Expo, coordinated by the Rotary Club of Young under the leadership of Sue Gordon. Around 50 exhibitors representing universities, TAFE, vocational training providers, businesses, government agencies and emergency services attended the event, showcasing education, training and employment pathways for students across the Hilltops region. Residents will be able to watch Dakota's winning design take shape when Council undertakes the planting later this spring.