Youth

Chantelle Thomas invoked the Bible, calling for a return to Christian values, and an end to abortions and "woke ideology" in her maiden speech as the Member for Narungga last week. Speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, May 20, Mrs Thomas said Australia was built on strong Christian values of faith, family, respect, personal responsibility and helping neighbours.

Bass Coast Shire Council has officially opened the Sunset Strip Bike Jump Park delivering an exciting new space for riders of all ages and abilities on Phillip Island. The track was officially opened today, with local students, Councillors, members of the Bass Coast Mountain Bike Association, contractors and Council staff coming together to celebrate the milestone...

2026 Winter Olympics aerial skier Abbey Willcox returned to her graduating high school Henry Kendall to inspire students by sharing stories of her professional athlete journey so far, and the importance of never giving up.

Long before Bottersnikes and Gumbles became a beloved Australian children's book series and animated television show, the strange little bush creatures first came to life among the rocks and scrub of Kariong.

At 21 years old, Luke Foggo is the youngest SES member across several units in the region, but you would never know it from the way he carries himself. He did not join the conventional way.

Less than 1 per cent of junior athletes go on to play sport at the highest levels. So, what is the role of a junior sports club, and how should its success be measured? The most premiership trophies with the highest number of junior dropouts is failure in my book.

Seeing the healthcare barriers faced by rural families inspired Armidale medical student Fleur Steen to pursue medicine, and now a national grant is helping support that goal ... Now studying medicine at the University of New England in Armidale, Fleur said growing up in rural communities made her aware from an early age of the challenges many people face when trying to access healthcare.

Madison Eastmond. A Riverland out of school hours care (OSHC) program has recently celebrated one year of success. The Monash Primary and Preschool OSHC program has now been offering their service to the local community for over a year, with the initiative recording double the numbers of enrolments during the last school-holiday period since they opened their doors.

The Gatton Library will host this year’s 26th National Simultaneous Storytime – and you’re invited to come along. National Simultaneous Storytime will once again see a picture book – written and illustrated by an Australian author – read simultaneously in libraries, schools, homes, children’s facilities and early childhood education and care services all over the country. 

Peter Argent. Moonta Bay siblings Brock and Ava Penna have returned from the Archery Australia 2026 National Youth Archery Championships with multiple gold medals, a national record and national recognition after outstanding performances in Launceston, Tasmania in April.

The town's embracing of the family struck by tragedy came to its culmination at a sunset vigil yesterday to say farewell to Kumanjayi Little Baby, dead at just five years old. There were no less than 1500 locals on Anzac Oval, the 20-80 black-white mix about the same as the whole town’s. The pain of the recent events had united them.

Allora local Sally Higgins has been appointed by Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen as the United Nations Presidency Youth Climate Champion (PYCC) for COP31 - a global role created to ensure young people are meaningfully included in international climate discussions.

Cricket legend Nathan Lyon talks about the “Have You Got What It Takes Tour” ... "it’s a coordinated effort to influence leadership at every level of the community. By bringing together elite sport, leadership principles, and grassroots development, David and I want to support leaders across regional Australia to tackle their most important challenges. This isn’t just about building better athletes or better leaders, it’s about building stronger communities that can thrive."

Patricia Gill. Obi Manuel wants to be an artist when he grows up. The 14-year-old made his debut into the art world at the Brave New Works Festival at the end of March. Obi lives with Down syndrome and attends the Albany Secondary Education Support Centre and started drawing and colouring in on bus trips...

On TikTok, an overwhelming 92 per cent of [young] respondents said social bullying - exclusion, rumour-spreading and being left out - is what they witness most often. Over 1,500 schools, workplaces, sporting clubs, community groups and individuals have so far signed up to fundraise in the lead-up to Friday...

The North Central LLEN is celebrating a major milestone since partnering with the Department of Education to support sixty local students to commence school-based apprenticeships and traineeships through the Head Start program over the past three years. 

The first equestrian competition for high school children took place at Pine Lodge in Queensland in 1984 ... Now 42 years on, the Australian National Interschool Competition is the biggest event on the Australian equestrian calendar.

A vintage caravan packed with interactive exhibits, real historical objects and immersive storytelling is setting off from Murwillumbah ... bound for some of the most remote classrooms in NSW. Connected: Signal to the Stars, created by Tweed Regional Museum...

“Mobile connectivity in the regions is not a luxury; it is a critical and essential service.” That was the tone set at the Senate inquiry into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025 where the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) gave evidence on behalf of remote families.

After many years of dedicated community support and tireless advocacy by local volunteers, the Australian Army Cadets has officially established a permanent presence in Corryong ... "In a remarkable show of community confidence, the newly formed detachment was entrusted with a significant ceremonial responsibility - emceeing for the official opening of the new memorial on the Corryong Avenue of Honour on Anzac Day," said Captain ACC, Dale Manley.

Regional high school students have been given a hands-on look at the future of engineering, with a long-running Riverina program continuing to be a potential pathway to careers in the field ... Working in teams, they tackled problem-solving, applied engineering theory and gained first-hand insight into industry practices to construct a fully functional bridge...

The Shire of Broome has wrapped up a successful Youth Week 2026, with hundreds of local young people taking part in a series of free activities designed to encourage participation, build confidence and celebrate youth in the community. Across the week, skateboard and scooter workshops at the BRAC Skatepark provided structured sessions for all skill levels...