Would you vote for a 19-year-old? These Gen Zs hope you will

By Kayla Olaya

September 12, 2024 — 11.43am

As voters go to the polls on Saturday, we explore what’s at stake in the NSW local government elections.See all 10 stories.

When 19-year-old Libby Austin was nominated at the bottom of Labor’s ticket for Penrith Council’s east ward, she wasn’t sure she’d get elected. But the Liberals’ failure to nominate candidates has made her the western city’s youngest councillor.

“I was so surprised. This has never happened before [in Penrith],” she said. “We got a call from the mayor saying, ‘Be prepared, this could happen.’ ”

Labor’s Libby Austin, 19, will be Penrith’s youngest councillor.Credit: Mitchell Hearne

After Saturday’s local government elections across the state, Austin intends to put the voices of young people at the top of the agenda – and she has a message for those suggesting she’s too young: “Being young does not make someone any more or less experienced for a task. I am essentially the same as any other first-time councillor. We all have never done it before.”

Dozens of others hope to join her as part of an eager cohort of politically engaged young people seeking election.

Only 10 councillors between 18 and 24 now serve in local government, while more than half of all councillors are between 50 and 69, the Office of Local Government reported.

Luc Harvey, an 18-year-old running for Labor in the City of Sydney said young people bring perspectives “you can’t find anywhere else”.

Young Gen Z candidates running for local council. (Left to right) James Ardouin, Nabilah Chowdhury, Harrison Chudleigh, Bonnie Harvey, Ethan Hrnjak, and Bea McDonald. Credit: Louie Douvis

Nabilah Chowdhury, 20, running for the Greens in the Inner West Council, said, “We’re the ones who will have to live with the consequences of decisions made now”, pointing to climate change, housing and education.

On the Liberal ticket for the City of Sydney is Bea McDonald, 19, a Sydney University law student.

“I became involved in local government because the City of Sydney needs a leadership change,” she said. “Because of inflation and the ever-increasing cost of living, it has never been more critical to have my generation’s concerns represented in politics.”

The candidates reflect the broader trends of Gen Z, said to be driven more by values and purpose than by money. Those running say they’re seeking election to be a voice for the youth in their communities, not to advance their political careers.

Bonnie Harvey, 22, and Ethan Hrnjak, 21, are two Greens whose chances for a nomination have been bolstered since the Liberals failed to nominate candidates for the Northern Beaches Council.Credit: Louie Douvis

For two Greens candidates in the Northern Beaches, Ethan Hrnjak, 21, and Bonnie Harvey, 22, their chances have been boosted by the Liberals’ failure to nominate candidates. Just one unofficial Liberal is up for election after he lodged his own nomination.

Hrnjak has run for every level of government since he turned 18, and believes it’s time for young people to be heard.

“I find that council is where you have the most genuine conversations with people. When it’s the trees on their street or the parks that they take their kids to, it’s a lot more personal,” Hrnjak said.

“I have people saying, you’re too young, you’ve got no life experience, you don’t know what you’re doing. They call us bright-eyed, but I think we’re just really passionate, and we have this really exciting vision of what our communities could look like.

“I think there’s just so much opportunity, and sometimes it takes a young person to point that out.”

Harvey, who is running in the Manly ward of the Northern Beaches Council, says there is no space for Gen Z representatives in higher levels of government and council is where they have a realistic chance of having an impact.

“One of the biggest reasons I’m running is because I don’t think young people believe politics is for them. Intentionally or not, [politics] isolates young people in the way that they don’t see themselves represented, but they don’t also see themselves as representatives,” she said.

“I think people are often surprised at my intelligence as a young person. Just because I’m young, I’m not capable of being as intelligent as a 60- or 70-year-old? I’m just as capable of picking up the sticks and learning anything. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, where are the young dogs?”

Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig said young people were becoming more engaged in politics through social media – but on national and global issues, not local matters.

“Fresh perspectives should always be welcomed in our councils – whether that comes from people representing the younger generation, multicultural communities or other under-represented groups,” Hoenig said.

Harrison Chudleigh, 19, running as an independent in Hornsby, had one issue on his mind: housing.

“If you want something to be done, you ought to at least try.”

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Would you vote for a 19-year-old? These Gen Zs hope you will

By Kayla Olaya

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