CITY of Bunbury councillor Karen Steele has questioned why there are no indigenous youth on Bunbury's Youth Advisory Council committee.
The committee, made up of local 14 to 19 year olds, advises the City on youth issues and organised youth-targeted events.
Last month council agreed to provide $50,000 for YAC to organise a youth arts festival.
"[The Youth Advisory Council committee] is very one-sided white people"
- - City of Bunbury councillor Karen Steele.
At a council briefing last night councillor Steele said the the committee was "very one-sided white people" and there needed to be a broad variety of youth represented.
The issue was raised during question time for a recommendation to appoint two new members to the committee, as there were vacant positions open.
Director of community development Stephanie Addison-Brown responded to Mrs Steele's questions, saying there was not a "proactive strategy" to select indigenous youth over anyone else.
"At the moment there is an informal youth reference group that sits alongside YAC and that's open to any youth and they are actively looking to recruit youth from all areas of the community," Ms Addison-Brown said.
"I think it's important that we have our youth representatives there and in other groups"
- - Bunbury Noongar elder Dennis Jetta.
Acting Mayor Brendan Kelly told council Mrs Steele had a good point.
"I think [we need to] endeavour to perhaps engage more with the local Noongar crew in [our] strategic policy," Mr Kelly said.
Bunbury Noongar elder Dennis Jetta told the Bunbury Mail he agreed that there needed to be indigenous youth on the committee.
"I think it's important that we have our youth representatives there and in other groups," Mr Jetta said.
He said local indigenous youth were highly represented in sport but not on community decision-making groups like YAC.
