The Kids Are Alright.

Where did you grow up in the Shire and what was it like?

I moved to Byron when I was four. We lived at beachside Suffolk Park for a few years, then we lived in Baywood Chase, so on the other side of Suffolk. It's funny, because whenever I meet people the first thing they say is, “Oh my gosh, what was that like?” I really enjoyed it. I went to Byron public school, and I was surrounded by the same group of people my whole life, which was amazing. A lot of my friends are still people from preschool and primary school. One of my favourite things about living in that environment is how active my childhood was. I was outside every weekend, either at the beach or playing sport, or up at the lighthouse. I loved it. I moved to Sydney for uni a couple of years ago, but my parents still live there, so I go back all the time.

How has growing up here influenced who you are?

It's definitely influenced me. I feel like the people who were around me throughout my childhood were very environmentally conscious, so that shaped who I am. I really noticed that with people I met at university, because it's not something everyone has. Also, my knowledge and understanding of our First Nations culture. My school always made sure that was something we were very well educated on. I'm studying politics and law, so it's influenced my passion for social justice issues and wanting to make a difference.

You organised the local climate strikes for the Byron Shire Youth for Climate group. What drove you to stand up?

The climate strikes started happening around the world when I was in year nine or 10. It was becoming a big thing in the media, and we had a really passionate teacher who was always telling us to stand up for what you believe in. So, a group of girls at school got together and thought we have to do something. It started off small, with weekly meetings. Then we did our first strike, and it just grew from there. We started getting kids from other high schools around the area who promoted it at their school and that's how it expanded a lot. I think I was at that stage of being a teenager when you feel like no one's listening and you're just frustrated. I was also starting to become a lot more aware about politics and the decisions that were being made by the government that didn't consider what young people thought.

Your work in the community led to a Young Citizen of the Year award. Why is community so important?

I think it's important, especially for young people, because it gives a sense of belonging and creates a support system. I really noticed that when I moved away from Byron into a big city, when I didn't have that sense of community, and how it shapes your day-to-day life. Like even going to the same coffee shop and seeing the same barista every morning can create a constant in someone's life. When I think back to my school community, I'm grateful it was very close with really supportive teachers. That's critical.

In regard to planning for the future, do you think young people get enough opportunity to have their voices heard?

Generally, in Australia as a whole, young people don't get enough opportunity to have their voices heard. If you think about it, you can only vote when you're 18, and yet so many issues in society impact people before then. I mean, we have schools, so the simplest opportunity would be to go into them and talk to kids, but from my experience nothing like that happened. I think there's definitely room for improvement to hear what kids think.

What's the danger of a community not listening to the younger generation?

The danger is you risk losing touch with them. I also think a lot of issues surrounding young people, things like transport, if you don't address them, it can create frustration, antisocial behaviour and disengagement.

How has Byron changed from when you were a kid?

When I come back and visit now there's always a new development going up. Definitely since Covid, it feels like it's conforming to the expectation of being a holiday destination for wealthy people. If you look at the new shops and restaurants, they're obviously not for people who live there, they're for people on holidays. Yeah, from when I was a kid, it's changed so much.

Does it feel possible to stay in Byron Shire to live and work?

I have a lot of friends who still live and work in Byron, getting trades. So, it's possible for them, but at the same time they're all still living at home. To think of actually owning a home in Byron someday, I don't think I'd be able to. ▲