North Sydney Council backs Kylea Tink climate change youth concert after political backlash

A local council is set to partner with a Teal MP to hold a climate change youth-focused rock music despite criticism that ratepayer resources should not be used for ‘political events’.

A local council is set to partner with a Teal MP to hold a climate change youth-focused rock music despite criticism that ratepayer resources should not be used for “political events”.

North Sydney councillors have voted to approve a request by the independent Federal MP Kylea Tink to help stage a youth-led climate action concert called ‘Stand Up and Rock Out’ at St Leonards Park in May.

The partnership will involve the council waiving park hire fee costs, providing technical support including sound systems, waste management, event promotion, crowd control, bollards, signs, and joint public insurance liability.

The concert will be held in support of a nationwide campaign calling on Federal politicians to pass new laws that would impose a statutory duty on decision makers to consider the wellbeing of current and future children when making decisions likely to contribute to climate change.

North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker the rock concert would promote themes of intergenerational equity.

Independent MP Kylea Tink.

“Engaging youth through music is a way of making sure they are able to turn up and are able to be reached,” she said.

“The event is consistent with this council’s declaration of a climate emergency from 2019 and a number of strategies and policies.”

But the council’s support for the event has sparked backlash with critics questioning whether the council should allocate resources to joint ventures with politicians.

Councillor Ian Mutton said he felt “uncomfortable” with the council’s decision to approve the funding request.

“I think it would be different if we were partnering with politicians at large but do in effect a joint venture with a politician I think that puts us in a position of advocating for that politician's cause,” he said.

Councillor Jilly Gibson claimed the event was “politically motivated” and labelled it an “election stunt”.

Councillor Jilly Gibson.

“We’ve never done anything like this before and I think this will be viewed by the community rather cynically,” she said.

Mayor Zoe Baker said the event was in line with council’s climate strategy and that the cynicism around the vent “impugned the motives of everyone involved”.

“There’s a reason it’s never happened before and that’s because none of the other state or federal members have sought to partner with council for this,” she said.

The council’s general manager Therese Mann did not confirm the exact cost of council’s financial support for event but said the sum would be “minimal” and could be funded from within the council’s existing events budget

North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker.

Ms Tink said she decided to partner with the council as climate change was not just a Federal issue or a local issue but an “issue that affects us all.”

“I have always taken the position that the best outcomes are achieved when we are able to pull together and collaborate without the artificial divisions of politics and party lines. That’s why I approached North Sydney Council – because I know that in general most of the councillors there care really deeply about encouraging younger voices to be heard.”

Ms Tink said the event was a first of its kind for North Sydney and provide an opportunity “for all of us to sit back, and listen to the voices of young people.”

The event is due to be held in May.

“People right across the North Sydney community care deeply about the effects of climate change and have consistently called for faster action on climate but in truth our younger generation is experiencing this concern on a whole other level,” she said.

“They feel disempowered – they don’t vote and they don’t think the political system is generally looking after them or is making decisions which would be consistent with the best interests of their futures.

“This event gives our community the chance to say to young people, quite literally, the stage is yours.”

Councillor James Spenceley supported the event, saying it was a way of engaging young people in the community.

“This is something I’d like my son to attend – the fact it comes from Kylea Tink is irrelevant to me,” he said.

The event is due to be held on May 19.