The Local Youth MPs’ Message to the Selwyn District Council

By Emelie Wissel, Youth Press Gallery, Youth Parliament 2025

Note: Articles in this newsletter edition were produced by the Youth Press Gallery at various stages of the Youth Parliament 2025 programme. Accordingly, the content presented reflects the context and timing at the date of its original writing.

Springfield-based Youth MP for Speaker Hon Gerry Brownlee, Josh Henderson, was one of 123 Youth MPs from across the country, who took part in last week’s triennial Youth Parliament week in the Capital. While taking part in mock debates and Question Time, Henderson also heard Chief Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad.

She says, “We don’t encourage children and young people to engage with the older generations more. But also the other way around. Sometimes our older generation feel like they don’t know how to talk to our children and young people.”

Achmad stresses the importance of intergenerational collaboration and expresses how when we do collaborate through varying generations, great outcomes happen. Henderson agrees, saying, “Intergenerational collaboration is important especially in the rural areas of Selwyn where everyone is sort of isolated from the main areas.”

The Selwyn District Council has recently adapted intergenerational collaboration into their approach to decision making – with their recent mural outside the Rolleston Community Centre inspired by it.

Henderson argues they have not done enough, “Selwyn District Council has consistently had people from the older demographic running it… It's about time we actually bring young people onto the council… And help work through the issues everyone in this district faces,” he says.

Rolleston-based Youth MP for Hon Nicola Grigg, Lucy Garner, agrees stating, “it allows shared and balanced power, it provides wisdom, innovation, and lived experience… It allows younger generations to dismiss possible outdated views and policies.”

Henderson wants to remind the council, “adults often make decisions that aren't representative of our views, and let's be real, there's a lot of dissatisfaction with the council as of late. Quite possibly a youth voice could be the change that the council needs to win over more people.”

He expands on how Selwyn is vulnerable to natural disasters, “in the event of a natural disaster we need to have the good practice from all age groups to help with disaster relief… People aren't going to survive long if we all aren't working together.”

Achmad reflects on Māori communities and the way they nurture and treasure mātauranga (sharing of knowledge). She believes that the barrier we face for this kind of collaboration is mindset but sees hope in the coming generations.

Garner sees a different barrier in Selwyn, “the lack of public transport and services for both youth and seniors.” She stresses the council needs to prioritise better accessibility to transport, as without it, the risk of feeling isolated in an already rural community is high.

Garner also feels there is a lack of valuable conversations with the elderly encouraged in the district. She pushes the council to organise times where youth feel welcome to visit the elderly and, in her words, “have activities set up like board games, storytelling, gardening… I’m sure this would be appreciated very much by the lovely seniors in Selwyn.”

Achmad concludes, “Children and young people are going to inherit the decisions we make today for the longest time to come. So, it’s only right that they should have a say in these decisions.”