A SUCCESSFUL eco-festival has helped propel the City of Kalamunda to be recognised for its engagement with young people on climate change, taking out a 2018 Children’s Environment and Health Local Government Policy Award.
Deputy Mayor Dylan O’Connor said it was an honour to receive the award and to be recognised amongst the local government industry.
“We’ve been undertaking a lot of work in this space, particularly with our youth, to help raise awareness about reducing environmental impact,” he said.
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READ NOWConsultation for the City’s 2017-2022 Youth Plan revealed that local young people have a keen interest in the environment.
Cr O’Connor said this data has driven the City’s approach to youth engagement and has seen the development of key initiatives such as the 2018 Youth Eco-Festival.
Launched during Youth Week, the Festival provided young people and their families the opportunity to take part in a fun, inclusive community event where they were able to learn about their impact on the environment and ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
Pedal-powered “Bin-no-no” smoothies, a pop-up cinema with eco-themed clips, a recycle right station and competition to upcycle old t-shirts were major hits, drawing over 500 young people and their families to the festival.
Cr O’Connor hailed the event a major success.
“It was fantastic to see such a great turn out and our message that small changes can make a big difference being driven home,” he said.
“Credit must go to the group of 10 local youths who were involved in helping to run and deliver the event.”