VOICES of young people can often be drowned out during some of the country’s worst natural disasters.
But the Youth Affairs Council Victoria and Victoria University are hoping to amplify those voices with the opening of a new collaborative hub for young people.
The National Centre of Excellence in Young People and Disasters plans to bring the ideas of young people to the forefront of disaster relief and recovery.
The centre will be established with support from the Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.
While the centre will be based in Victoria, it will have a national focus.
For 19-year-old Cohuna resident Jemma Baxter, the impact of disasters has always been part of life.
“I experienced the recent floods, as well as the floods in 2011 and the droughts throughout the years,” she said.
“In 2011 I was quite young, but I was definitely still helping out on our farm, sandbagging and helping build a floodwall for my nan and pop.
“I had a bit more of an understanding of the impact of the recent flooding than I did in 2011, just being that bit older.
“There has been a really positive influence by young people in our community. At Cohuna Secondary College we were all sandbagging on our last day of Year 12.
“I did as much study as I could, but it was just in the back of my mind that I’d prefer to be helping my community instead of studying.”
Ms Baxter said she thought young people took a more community-focused approach to overcoming natural disasters.
“I just think that we are the driving voice,” she said. “Young people have a voice that needs to be listened to.
“I feel we take a more holistic approach and think about how it can impact people on an individual basis.
“How it will impact farmers is going to be different to how it impacts people in town.
“I also think young people are able to have an understanding of the impacts to more mature adults as well as being able to relate to the younger kids too.
“We can kind of process how it’s going to affect a 35-year-old as well as a five-year-old.”
Ms Baxter said she thought the impact of climate change kept natural disasters at the front of young Australians’ minds.
“Some adults may not take it as seriously,” she said. “They won’t be around for as long as young people will.
“Climate change is a bit of a bubble ahead of us and having us care about it gives us more of a reason for why we need to care about disasters and flooding.”
YACVic chief executive Katherine Ellis said the centre would provide the chance to hear from people with the biggest stake in future disasters.
“We know young people are deeply concerned about issues of climate change and disaster,” she said. “They have valuable ideas and capabilities to contribute.
“They have the strongest stake in the future, yet they are not consistently engaged in disaster efforts.”
