The Youth Round Table meeting in Darwin brought together young people from across the Territory to discuss, advise and consult with the government and the community. Photo: Northern Territory Government Department of People, Sport and Culture.
The 2025 Northern Territory Youth Round Table met in Darwin recently to discuss important issues affecting members’ communities.
The 22 young people, aged 15 to 23, were offered the opportunity to advise government, stakeholders and the community on issues important to youth in the Territory.
The Youth Round Table met with the Minister for Youth, Seniors and Equality, Jinson Charls, to discuss the future of the Territory. Critical issues such as youth justice, employment, education and community connection were priorities.
The Round Table raised concerns about housing affordability, mental health, cost-of-living pressure, domestic violence and substance abuse. This showed young people shared concerns about the challenges faced by the Territory as a whole.
Mr Charls highlighted the importance of the initiative and the value of listening to youth.
“Young people are an important part of our community and are our future leaders,” he said.
”It’s essential we provide them with forums like the Youth Round Table to have their say and influence change.
“Their voices matter, and I had some very interesting discussions with them about what they see as the current challenges and their ideas on how we can overcome them.
“I’m looking forward to building on these relationships throughout the year and hearing more about how we can work together, along with industry professionals and community partners, to bring to life some of the creative and strategic initiatives they have in mind.”
The program has a history of enabling Territory youth to give back to their community, and members develop leadership skills through participation in a range of community activities and projects.
Previous members such as Dante Rodrigues and Jahdai Vigona co-founded the One Perfect Program to help strengthen community connections.
Another member, Rohan Kealy, used his experience in the initiative to launch a drive that distributed 2000 mental health brochures to students across Darwin and Palmerston in an effort to aid Territorians dealing with mental health issues.
