The 22 members of the 2025 Northern Territory Youth Round Table met in Darwin over the weekend, providing a platform for young Territorians to discuss the key issues affecting their communities.
The Youth Round Table offers young people the opportunity to advise the Minister for Youth, Seniors and Equality, government, stakeholders, and community members on important initiatives while actively contributing to their communities.
Throughout the year, members will participate in a range of community activities and projects, helping to develop their leadership skills.
The delegation met with Minister for Youth, Seniors and Equality, Jinson Charls, to discuss their priorities and ideas on shaping the Territory’s future.
The discussions focused on critical issues such as education, employment, youth justice, the environment and community connections.
Members also raised concerns around housing affordability, cost of living, mental health, domestic violence, and substance use, reflecting the challenges faced by young people in the Northern Territory.
Minister for Youth, Seniors and Equality, Jinson Charls, highlighted the importance of the Youth Round Table in ensuring that young voices are heard and valued.
“Young people are an important part of our community and are our future leaders. It’s essential we provide them with forums like the Youth Round Table to have their say and influence change,” said Mr Charls.
“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 2025 NT Youth Round Table members, aged 15 to 23, come from diverse regions across the Territory, ensuring a broad representation of young voices.
They will meet in person three more times this year and participate in additional virtual meetings.
The 2025 NT Youth Round Table members are:
- Esther Kami, 15, Barkly
- Nalarnir Paterson, 15, Barkly
- Jeremy Johnson, 18, Big Rivers
- Shauntrell Green, 16, Big Rivers
- Briana Alexander, 23, Central Australia
- Esther Klerck, 16, Central Australia
- Xuan Le, 16, Central Australia
- Aayushma Wagle, 23, Darwin
- Aidan McGregor, 15, Darwin
- Amelia Wurst, 15, Darwin
- Arjumand Khan, 15, Darwin
- Ashleigh Dawe, 22, Darwin
- Gilbert Tanoto, 18, Darwin
- Hamza Kamran, 22, Darwin
- Kyrah Tye Tupaea, 19, Darwin
- Peter Susanto, 18, Darwin
- Ryan Carpenter, 16, Darwin
- Sandra Vackyathinal George, 21, Darwin
- Shubham Dhakal, 23, Darwin
- Mabel Beverstock, 15, East Arnhem
- Amelia Jade Phommachanh, 15, Palmerston Rural
- Lyle Markham, 18, Palmerston Rural
The program has a strong legacy of fostering youth leadership. Previous members, such as Dante Rodrigues and Jahdai Vigona, co-founded the One Percent Program, helping young people strengthen community connections.
Rohan Kealy used his experience in the program to launch a project distributing 2,000 Mental Health Brochures to Year 7 students across Darwin and Palmerston, ensuring they have access to critical mental health resources as they transition to middle school.
For more information on the Youth Round Table, visit NT Youth Round Table | Department of People, Sport and Culture.
