I was thrilled to kick off my listening tour in Queensland! From the moment I arrived, I could feel the energy, the ideas, the passion of young people who refuse to be ignored. These young people aren’t waiting for permission to act; they’re shaping their communities, challenging systems, and building solutions, even when the odds are stacked against them.

Starting in Townsville at the UN Youth Queensland conference, the room buzzed with energy from high schoolers across the region. They spoke openly about Artificial Intelligence (AI), racism, gender inequality, and what it’s like to mask disability, hiding parts of themselves just to fit in. Their honesty hit me. Hearing high school students’ challenges around being subject to racial slurs, sexual assault and adjusting to education systems that do not see their disability reminded me of the courage young people carry every day when navigating systems that weren’t designed with them in mind. 

At the UN Youth Queensland State Conference, the issues were urgent and personal. Everything came up, from cost of living, climate change, mental health, housing, education, war, domestic and sexual violence. However, gender equality shone through most vividly. One young woman said, “We are always being questioned” about the validity of her experiences with assault and abuse, a line that has stayed with me.

In Brisbane, I visited the Queenslanders with Disabilities Network, and it became clear what youth-led change really looks like. Run by and for people with disability, they spoke about the challenges of pushing for systemic change, and the importance of co-design. 

At Queensland University of Technology, students opened up about the pressures they face every day. International students spoke about limited opportunities in regional areas, and how questions about visas often close doors for employment opportunity before the conversation even begins. I also heard about the reality of how AI is reshaping the job market, making it harder for university students who are already struggling to enter the job market to do so. The cost of living also surfaced as a constant pressure, especially while balancing work and study responsibities. 

At The University of Queensland, the conversations turned reflective. Students spoke about preventative healthcare, climate action, and internet regulation, but also about the overwhelm of living in a world where only politicised issues make the headlines. When discussing climate inaction, one student said, “it feels like putting a bandaid on a wound that is gushing blood,” a dark reminder of the frustration we feel as young people inheriting a world that is not being adequately cared for. They shared how small the opportunities feel to create real change within systems, and how much of their leadership is about acting in the ways they can,  even if it’s small, it’s meaningful.

Finally, in Toowoomba, I met youth leaders facing challenges unique to regional communities: employment access, education, and supporting refugee communities settling in the area. Their energy and creativity were inspiring. Even with fewer resources, they are building solutions, supporting each other, and leading in their own way.

Across every conversation in Queensland, the message was the same: young people are leading with courage, with limited resources and in systems that feel slow or unresponsive. Living in a world where their lived experiences show they have too often been failed, they aren’t waiting to be heard, but are making change happen themselves.

As the 2026 Youth Representative, I carry these stories forward. Queensland’s young people reminded me that youth participation isn’t a checkbox. It’s about trust, co-design, and creating space for those with lived experience to lead.