Albury City Youth Council has announced the appointment of Amelia Evans as the 2026 Youth Mayor, alongside Kimmi Kaur as Deputy Youth Mayor.
All Youth Councillors participated in a vote to elect their new leadership team, with AlburyCity Deputy Mayor Jessica Kellahan observing the process.
The newly elected Youth Mayor said she was honoured to be chosen by her fellow councillors.
“I feel incredibly honoured to be elected. We have an excellent group of Youth Councillors this year and I’m very excited to work with them,” Amelia said.
Now in her third year on the Youth Council, Amelia described her involvement in fundraising for the Winter Solstice event, dedicated to suicide and mental illness prevention, as a particularly rewarding achievement.
Looking ahead to her term as Youth Mayor, Amelia said creating opportunities for all councillors to contribute would be a key priority.
“My main goal is to ensure everyone’s voice can be heard. I want to encourage participation and make sure councillors who want to contribute have the opportunity to do so. If I can achieve that, I would consider my term as Youth Mayor a successful one.”
Deputy Youth Mayor Kimmi Kaur said joining the Youth Council had given her the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the community.
“When I was in Year 9, I realised I wanted to do something that made a difference. Amelia and I saw information about the Youth Council at school and decided to apply together. It was such a fun and impactful experience that I’ve continued to reapply each year.”
As Deputy Youth Mayor, Kimmi said she was excited about the opportunities ahead.
“I hope we can all come together and make a difference, whether that’s raising funds for important causes or supporting projects that benefit young people. I’m also really excited to get to know everyone and see what we can achieve together for the Albury Local Government Area.”
The Youth Council plays a vital role in representing and advocating for young people in the Albury community. Members work to raise awareness of youth issues, contribute to community initiatives and develop leadership, communication and decision-making skills.
Working closely with Council Officers, Youth Councillors contribute feedback on draft plans and strategies to ensure young people’s perspectives are reflected in AlburyCity’s decision-making.
The 2026 Albury Youth Council consists of 16 members aged between 12 and 18. Youth Councillors also appointed Amy Hayes as Secretary and Ruby Reimers as Youth Communications Lead, to support the coordination and promotion of Youth Council activities throughout the year.
Youth Councillors actively contribute to major youth and community events such as the Youth Expo, Youth Week activities, Clean Up Graffiti Day, Gindaymanha Sports Carnival, Kool Skools Music Awards night, an All-Abilities Disco and community pop-up events.
As leaders, the Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor will chair Youth Council meetings, ensure agenda items are addressed, support the implementation of the Early Years and Young People’s Plan, and represent the Youth Council at special events and community functions.
Deputy Mayor Jessica Kellahan congratulated the newly elected Youth Council leaders and all councillors who put themselves forward for leadership positions.
“Albury’s Youth Council continues to be one of the most valuable opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills, build confidence and contribute to decisions that shape our community,” Cr Kellahan said.
“Amelia and Kimmi have already demonstrated a strong commitment to making a positive difference, and I look forward to seeing them lead and support their fellow councillors throughout the year. Their passion, initiative and willingness to advocate for young people are exactly what makes the Youth Council such an important part of our community.”
For more information on the Albury Youth Council, visit Council’s website.
