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Planner wins role to give young a voice

SUMMER Hill resident Estelle Grech is helping ensure that young people have a voice and are heard in planning Greater Sydney’s future.

She is one of 10 young people aged between 17 and 28 appointed to the Greater Sydney Youth Panel, based on their experience in youth engagement and strategic planning, representation from groups that do not currently have a voice within the Greater Sydney Commission and a diverse range of ages, gender, cultural backgrounds and abilities.
Estelle, 24, and the panel chair, is an Urban Strategist at a social planning and community engagement consultancy.
She is a recent graduate of City Planning from the University of NSW and grew up in Western Sydney.
“I am one of only two planners on the panel and am passionate about giving youth a voice as I have dual perspective growing up in the west but now living in the inner city and am aware of the inequality,” she said.
“Youth in the west have less access to public transport, jobs and even study; it used to take me an hour and a half just to get to Uni.
“As a young social planner, I talk to a lot of people across Sydney to find their needs and it will be their voices that I’ll be bringing to the table as well.
“I am really looking forward to making a difference and showing everyone what planning can do to make lives better.”
Chief Commissioner Lucy Turnbull AO, said she was excited to have this talented and enthusiastic group providing their insights, and the views of their peers, to the Commission.
“In our early discussions, they have made it clear that the biggest issue for young people across Greater Sydney is jobs,” she said.