What do the children of Canterbury-Bankstown think about our City and what would they like to change? At our first-ever Children’s Summit last week, we encouraged kids to talk about what matters to them. What’s great? What’s not so great?

More than 100 Year five and Year six school kids weren’t backwards in coming forward about speaking their minds about what they like – and also what they dislike about the City for all kids.

The Children’s Summit, which took place on 12 October, was a great way for local kids to participate in discussions about how they can get involved in some of the decisions faced by Council.

What does living in Canterbury-Bankstown mean to children? How can we make our City better for them? Knowing their thoughts, opinions and feelings means we can take them into account in our decisions.

Here’s a sample of what is on the minds of our kids:

• “Canterbury-Bankstown is a place where everyone is welcome and happy.”
• “It’s important to have fun and feel comfortable in your community.”
• “My dream for Canterbury-Bankstown is for people to have the opportunity to dance, with more dance studios, more activities in the parks and less problems.”
• “I love spending time with my friends and I love playing netball. But the lighting at my favourite court is not good at night.”
• “I know a lot of people on my street and I like talking to my neighbours. I also like that there are a lot of parks and I feel safe in my community.”
• “My dream place for Canterbury-Bankstown is a basketball court, a rubbish- free environment and free food.” 

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said it was great to hear about some of the issues that the kids wanted to share.

“These kids are the future of our city, so it only makes sense that we listen and consider what they have to say,” Mayor Asfour said.

“The safety of our children is a top priority for us, and who better to teach us about how affective we are at keeping them safe than the children themselves? We hear a lot from the adults in our community, it’s now time to hear what the children have to say.”

Children who weren’t able to have their say at the event are encouraged to participate online