Hastings District Council has voted in favour of allowing non-elected members of its Youth Council to vote in council decisions.
Youth Council members will be able to vote in council committees and sub-committees - and they'll also be paid.
The Council was divided on this move - but mayor Sandra Hazlehurst had the deciding vote and the issue was passed.
Youth Council chair Chris Proctor says this is a first in the nation's history.
"We want to bring a voice to the Council's table and we want to make sure that in areas like Flaxmere, where 50 percent of the population is under the age of 25 - we feel that's important."
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hastings District Council. Interesting, it's this afternoon voted to allow
unelected members of its Youth Council to have votes in
council decisions. So the kids will be allowed to vote
in council committees and council subcommittees and they'll be paid.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
The council was divided on this, seven voted for it
and seven voted against it, but ultimately the mayor had
the casting vote and the mayor voted for it. Chris
Proctor is the Youth Council chair.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Hay Ris, Hi, there are you?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Well?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
How much are you getting paid.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
At the stage. I've only got a partner, un job
at a cafe.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No man for the for the council work.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Look, they vote today actually didn't confirm anything. It said
that councils have now got the ability to potentially give us.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Votes at only the first step of the stage. Nothing,
nothing's happening.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh okay, So I heard it's about five hundred bucks
per meeting that you would get paid. Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
If I can give you some context for that, the
Youth Council, at the beginning of this process, we never
intended for remuneration.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Many we're not We're not here for ammuneration. That's not
our purpose.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
But council officers informed us that it would be against
council values to treat people differently that.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Are working on those committees, and ultimately.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
That's the decision we respect, and we said that the
conversations that happened in the next couple of weeks they will
determine whether we get remunerated or not.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
But we've made a position.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Reking there and how many of you are there?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
There are seventeen of us use counselors.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How much seven did you just say? Seventeen?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Seventeen of us youth counselors. But at this stage there
will be one use counselor on the scent on the
episode committees.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yep, okay, so only only one of you would be
being paid, not seventeen.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Oh gosh, no, no, no, actually.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And how many meetings would this one person attend in a.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Year and a year for standing committees, there is about
four meetings a year and they last for roughly around
five to six hours.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Okay, so about two thousand.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Bucks a year potentially if the counselors, as the.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Councilors agree, okay, why why why should there be a
youth counselor who has voting rights that's a really good
christ and is paid for it.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Absolutely, that is a really good question. I've to give
you a little bit of context.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Youth counselor's got the ability to sit on council subcommittees
in twenty twenty and were the first council and is
to have the ability to do that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And there's.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Examples of unelected members with voting parts who are remutiated
across the country, which in Hastings specifically, we have the
Tacot nor Mold Extending Committee. They are unelected members and
they have voting rights in their committees.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And now the youth.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
What was that? Sorry? And now the youth yes, now we.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Were okay, So why but why why should If I
was if I was a rate payer at Hastings and
was not stoked about having to pay someone else to
do a job, how would you sell it to me
that you need to do this job like I have
got to pay you to do this job. Why?
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Look, we've never intended for remuneration. That's never been way.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I know that. But you are going to get it, really,
I mean, you're going to get it obviously, so why
should you be doing this job?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
We want to bring a voice to the council table,
and we want to make sure that in areas like
Flexmen in New Zealand and flex Me in Hastings, there
is almost fifty percent of the population under the age
of twenty five, and we feel that it's important, especially
for we have really really low by the turnout in
this under twenty five category. And that's the actue that
(03:35):
we set out to solve. And if we can get
someone on a council committee and a young person sees
them on there and they see they have input and
altogether this is going to have such a small impact
on the overhe why don't.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
They just run? I mean, this is an unelected position.
Why don't they just run for council?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
There is under over eighteen.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
There's very small numbers of people who are eighteen nineteen
twenty who actually counts in New Zealand, and there is
an overpresentation of not young people and so we want
to make sure that we want to make sure that
there is an ability for us to have some sort
of some sort of voice in that process. And it's
(04:15):
a it's a small change for us we already sit
on the committee. Yeah, and yeah, whether the remuneration goes
through or not, that it's not.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Up to what are you? I'm steven ten years of age.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Okay, do you own a house?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
No?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I didn't pay rates?
Speaker 3 (04:30):
No I do not?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Okay and yeah, so how good are you with money
if you don't own a house and pay rates and bills?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Look, I want to make really clear that the decision. Yes,
I do have saving.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
How much have you got?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I don't want to discuss much.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
That's the right answer. I could not answer it. You
see why why this may be. I think this is
a bitter pill to swallow, to be honest with you,
if I was a thing's rate payer and I've just
been told i'm paying tweet, what did you What was
your rate increase? Was it nineteen or twenty five percent?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That's a stage that increase over three years?
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, and what was it?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I'm not actually sure.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
I think it was learn that. But if it's like
nineteen or twenty five percent or something, it's astronomical like that,
which is somewhere around there. And I was just told
that I am now going to have to listen to
the opinion of a young person who doesn't even own
their own house or pay the bills. I think I
might not be totally cool with that. What do you think?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I agree with you completely right.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Disagrees have been huge for communities, and that's why we've
always said we don't want to be paid council offices
and formulatt's against council values and we have to accept
that position.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I think you're kind of missing my point. My point
is I don't actually even want you to have say
not because I don't like you. You sound like a
really smart like you're going places. You're obviously super smart,
but you're seventeen years old, mate, I don't care what
you think. Like, that's kind of how a lot of
ratepayers are going to think.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Right, that's the fair position to have.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
That depends on it depends on what the majority thinks
then in this case, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, Chris, thank you. I really appreciate you having a
chat to us, and I do really mean it. You
are going to go places, Chris Procter, the youth council
chair was nineteen percent, So I don't know how you
feel about that, Hastings, but at nineteen percent rate increases,
i'd be expecting my counsel to try to find ways
to save money, not find ways to spend more money
on stuff that does literally nothing. Sixteen past four
Speaker 2 (06:29):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, Listen live to
news talks It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Hastings District Council. Interesting, it's this afternoon voted to allow
unelected members of its Youth Council to have votes in
council decisions. So the kids will be allowed to vote
in council committees and council subcommittees and they'll be paid.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
The council was divided on this, seven voted for it
and seven voted against it, but ultimately the mayor had
the casting vote and the mayor voted for it. Chris
Proctor is the Youth Council chair.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Hay Ris, Hi, there are you?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Well?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
How much are you getting paid.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
At the stage. I've only got a partner, un job
at a cafe.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No man for the for the council work.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Look, they vote today actually didn't confirm anything. It said
that councils have now got the ability to potentially give us.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Votes at only the first step of the stage. Nothing,
nothing's happening.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh okay, So I heard it's about five hundred bucks
per meeting that you would get paid. Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
If I can give you some context for that, the
Youth Council, at the beginning of this process, we never
intended for remuneration.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Many we're not We're not here for ammuneration. That's not
our purpose.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
But council officers informed us that it would be against
council values to treat people differently that.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Are working on those committees, and ultimately.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
That's the decision we respect, and we said that the
conversations that happened in the next couple of weeks they will
determine whether we get remunerated or not.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
But we've made a position.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Reking there and how many of you are there?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
There are seventeen of us use counselors.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How much seven did you just say? Seventeen?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Seventeen of us youth counselors. But at this stage there
will be one use counselor on the scent on the
episode committees.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yep, okay, so only only one of you would be
being paid, not seventeen.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Oh gosh, no, no, no, actually.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And how many meetings would this one person attend in a.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Year and a year for standing committees, there is about
four meetings a year and they last for roughly around
five to six hours.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Okay, so about two thousand.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Bucks a year potentially if the counselors, as the.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Councilors agree, okay, why why why should there be a
youth counselor who has voting rights that's a really good
christ and is paid for it.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Absolutely, that is a really good question. I've to give
you a little bit of context.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Youth counselor's got the ability to sit on council subcommittees
in twenty twenty and were the first council and is
to have the ability to do that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And there's.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Examples of unelected members with voting parts who are remutiated
across the country, which in Hastings specifically, we have the
Tacot nor Mold Extending Committee. They are unelected members and
they have voting rights in their committees.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And now the youth.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
What was that? Sorry? And now the youth yes, now we.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Were okay, So why but why why should If I
was if I was a rate payer at Hastings and
was not stoked about having to pay someone else to
do a job, how would you sell it to me
that you need to do this job like I have
got to pay you to do this job. Why?
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Look, we've never intended for remuneration. That's never been way.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I know that. But you are going to get it, really,
I mean, you're going to get it obviously, so why
should you be doing this job?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
We want to bring a voice to the council table,
and we want to make sure that in areas like
Flexmen in New Zealand and flex Me in Hastings, there
is almost fifty percent of the population under the age
of twenty five, and we feel that it's important, especially
for we have really really low by the turnout in
this under twenty five category. And that's the actue that
(03:35):
we set out to solve. And if we can get
someone on a council committee and a young person sees
them on there and they see they have input and
altogether this is going to have such a small impact
on the overhe why don't.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
They just run? I mean, this is an unelected position.
Why don't they just run for council?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
There is under over eighteen.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
There's very small numbers of people who are eighteen nineteen
twenty who actually counts in New Zealand, and there is
an overpresentation of not young people and so we want
to make sure that we want to make sure that
there is an ability for us to have some sort
of some sort of voice in that process. And it's
(04:15):
a it's a small change for us we already sit
on the committee. Yeah, and yeah, whether the remuneration goes
through or not, that it's not.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Up to what are you? I'm steven ten years of age.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Okay, do you own a house?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
No?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I didn't pay rates?
Speaker 3 (04:30):
No I do not?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Okay and yeah, so how good are you with money
if you don't own a house and pay rates and bills?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Look, I want to make really clear that the decision. Yes,
I do have saving.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
How much have you got?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I don't want to discuss much.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
That's the right answer. I could not answer it. You
see why why this may be. I think this is
a bitter pill to swallow, to be honest with you,
if I was a thing's rate payer and I've just
been told i'm paying tweet, what did you What was
your rate increase? Was it nineteen or twenty five percent?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That's a stage that increase over three years?
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, and what was it?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I'm not actually sure.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
I think it was learn that. But if it's like
nineteen or twenty five percent or something, it's astronomical like that,
which is somewhere around there. And I was just told
that I am now going to have to listen to
the opinion of a young person who doesn't even own
their own house or pay the bills. I think I
might not be totally cool with that. What do you think?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I agree with you completely right.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Disagrees have been huge for communities, and that's why we've
always said we don't want to be paid council offices
and formulatt's against council values and we have to accept
that position.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I think you're kind of missing my point. My point
is I don't actually even want you to have say
not because I don't like you. You sound like a
really smart like you're going places. You're obviously super smart,
but you're seventeen years old, mate, I don't care what
you think. Like, that's kind of how a lot of
ratepayers are going to think.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Right, that's the fair position to have.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
That depends on it depends on what the majority thinks
then in this case, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, Chris, thank you. I really appreciate you having a
chat to us, and I do really mean it. You
are going to go places, Chris Procter, the youth council
chair was nineteen percent, So I don't know how you
feel about that, Hastings, but at nineteen percent rate increases,
i'd be expecting my counsel to try to find ways
to save money, not find ways to spend more money
on stuff that does literally nothing. Sixteen past four
Speaker 2 (06:29):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, Listen live to
news talks It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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