Ipswich Youth Advisory Council celebrates record year of engagement
Published on 11 November 2025
Ipswich City Council has celebrated the contributions of the largest cohort yet of the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council (IYAC), with a record 61 young people aged 13–18 taking part in the year-long program.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said council is proud to support the development of young people through the IYAC program, which has continued to grow and evolve since its establishment in 2007.
“The City of Ipswich has the youngest population in South East Queensland, and it is essential that young people are actively involved in shaping our city’s future,” Mayor Harding said.
“Council incorporates feedback by involving our IYAC members in consultations on policies, procedures, and projects to ensure youth perspectives are represented.
“Input from IYAC has helped shape youth cultural programming, health and wellbeing initiatives, and responses to social priorities such as homelessness and disaster recovery.
“Over the past 12 months, members contributed to the Ipswich 2032 Legacy Roadmap, Strategic Regulation Policy, the Ipswich Film Festival for Youth, Active and Healthy Ipswich, and the Ipswich Central Urban Design Framework.”
Community and Sport Committee Chairperson Councillor Jacob Madsen said the 2025 IYAC cohort embraced opportunities to build leadership skills and learn about civic engagement.
“These experiences strengthened their understanding of civic engagement and showcased their ability to influence major initiatives while developing leadership and communication skills,” Cr Madsen said.
IYAC member Saachi, 13, said the program helped grow their confidence and showed them the value of civic engagement.
“Through IYAC, my leadership skills have improved and I now have the courage to stand up and engage in discussions. It taught me to project my voice, my passion and my thoughts,” Saachi said.
Samuel, 15, said the IYAC program provided them with practical experience with local government and community service.
“I learned how many moving parts are involved in making a city thrive. IYAC showed me that being part of council means identifying problems and working together to solve them,” Samuel said.
Applications for the 2026 IYAC program are now open.
Young people aged 13–18 who live in Ipswich are eligible to apply for the two-year term.
Program information and application details are available at www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/IYAC