Young Mayors Cairns
A democratically elected Youth Council for young people aged 13 to 17 years.
Meet Cairns’ Youth Council!
The second Cairns Youth Council were elected in October 2025 and are serving a 18 month term in office from 1 February 2026 – 20 June 2027.
Together, the Youth Council will deliver projects, campaigns and events based on a priority agenda developed together early in their term.
Cairns Youth Council
The Youth Council are preparing their priority agenda, informed by Cairns’ community of young people. If you have an issue you’d like the Cairns Youth Council to consider, contact Etuina Suavai at [email protected]
Cairns Youth Council in the Media
About the 2026-27 Youth Council
The Youth Council decide their priorities based on issues identified by young people in Cairns.
The projects run by youth councils around the world have covered a range of issues, including:
- Campaigns for mental health, LGBTIQ+ equality, poverty reduction, sustainability, safety and tourism
- Youth homelessness support projects
- Lowering the age of travel concessions
- New inclusive council programs for young people with disabilities
- Forums that bring young people together with local, state, and federal decision makers
- New sports competitions, music programs, and art exhibitions
During the Term in Office, the Youth Council will regularly consult with their constituents to make sure their work is meeting the needs of young people in the community. Consultation will happen in different ways.
Youth Council meet once a fortnight. Hybrid meetings are offered for young people who cannot attend in-person
As well as fortnightly meetings, Youth Council may decide to attend other council meetings and events, and other community activities.
Youth Councillors are paid a quarterly stipend of $250 to recognise that costs might come up as a part of being involved (eg. transport).
Food is provided for meetings with all dietary requirements catered to.
The Youth Council may have opportunities to meet with and provide recommendations to CRC Councillors and the Mayor throughout their Term in Office.
Young people running for election have access to workshops and mentoring to support their campaigns
The elected Youth Council do a thorough induction, have access to a constantly updated resource library, and are supported by a staff member based in the Council area.
Check out a locality map here.
General info
Cairns Regional Council recognises the valuable contribution young people make to the community and is committed to supporting young people to be actively involved in the issues that affect them.
FYA came to Cairns in April 2023 to meet the Council, young people and community allies to talk about the Young Mayors Program, and then again in June 2023 to run a co-design session to shape the Young Mayors program with and for young people in Cairns.
The session was attended by 48 people, including 24 young people, the Mayor, councillors, council staff, community stakeholders and FYA staff.
The session led to the development of the program, tailored to young people in Cairns.
The Cairns Youth Council are fulfilling their term in office, which ends in June 2027
You can have your say on issues they cover by emailing Etuina Suavai at [email protected]
If you would like be added to our Community of Young People mailing list to receive updates on opportunities for young people, email ‘Please add me to the Community of Young People’ at [email protected]
No. Elections are run in schools , but the Young Mayors program is not part of the curriculum.
The Youth Council runs outside of school time, but it’s best to let your school know you’ll be getting involved either as a candidate, or as an elected Youth Council member. A letter to your school can be provided on request.
On occasion, Youth Council members may have the chance to get involved in activities that run during school hours, with advanced notice.
The Young Mayors program works with young people aged 11 to 17 years. We recognise this program puts young people in the public spotlight, and this can create vulnerabilities.
A well-being plan tailored to each community is developed at the beginning of the program, based on a thorough co-design process undertaken with each local government area.
The well-being plan includes, but is not limited to specific actions and support available to keep young people safe, processes to report harm, and clarity on expectations young people can have of each other, partners involved and the general public.
FYA and our partners are required to have Working With Childrens’ Checks / Blue Cards and adhere to a comprehensive set of safeguarding policies and legislative requirements.
We are working hard to make every part of the program as accessible to as many people as possible. This includes using wheelchair accessible venues, having the option to provide Auslan Interpreters for events, providing single and gender neutral bathrooms, creating social scripts and maintaining COVID safety.
We are committed to supporting all access requirements and welcome suggestions for any access needs not covered here. Please email Tahlia Azaria (she/her) at [email protected] or call FYA on (03) 7046 3837 to book a time to chat.