June saw a persistent inversion layer hanging over Central Otago that blanketed the region in a thick cloud, and July is not looking much better with a cloudy and cold week forecast. What can locals do if the weather is depressing them?The Central App spoke to Angela Connell (the owner of Alexandra yoga studio Flow Space) in search of some tips for surviving winter.Limited sun exposure can lead to low mood as sunlight stimulates serotonin and melatonin, neurochemicals that promote happiness, relaxation and sleep.Ange recommended several strategies for combating the lack of sunshine.One is to take short walks, looking for things to appreciate in nature. Joining a walking group can help with motivation.  If it is too cold to go outside and difficult to muster up energy to complete tasks, she recommends choosing some cheery company or joining a group activity like yoga to socialise with others. This can release the oxytocin hormone. It can also be helpful to keep a daily gratitude journal of little things in your life you enjoy. Ange said people should also remember “gentle self-care”. “What a treat winter is for allowing a kind of ‘hibernation’. You have permission to slow down, retreat, snuggle up and read that book you’ve been trying to find time for.” Another strategy - not for the fainthearted - is cold water submersions which can stimulate an improved metabolism, immune system and send a massive release of dopamine through the body, boosting your mood for the day. A winter dip: Swimmers prepare to plunge into freezing Otago lakeThere seem to be two options to get through the winter months: embracing it and looking for the good, or knowing your limits and allowing yourself some time to hibernate. However, if you are worried about yourself or another person, check in with your GP because you could have a genuine physiological issue. Ten per cent of New Zealanders are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, or as it’s commonly known, the winter blues. It’s four times more likely to affect women and tends to start when people are in their 20s and 30s. 

Central Otago's newest retirement village, Aurum on Clutha, has welcomed its first residents.After a two-year process from planning, and a successful open day last month (which attracted more than 500 people), the first residents have settled into their new homes. Two couples from Alexandra moved in on June 7 and are enjoying all the village has to offer. “While the majority of residents signed up to move in are from Alexandra and Clyde, a few couples are moving down from the North Island to be closer to family,” village manager Sonya Attfield said.  Aurum is currently in stage one of four with its development. The build is set to be completed in four years' time with a total of 128 villas. Once all four stages are completed, the hospital complex will be added which will have dementia and hospital beds. The HPA group which has been building the village in Clyde also built the recently finished Golden View in Cromwell, adding to Arrowtown Lifestyle Village and the Queenstown Country Club retirement village options.PHOTO: Supplied 

The second year of Matariki celebrations at Dunstan High School held on Wednesday evening (June 28) was a great success. A crowd of approximately 150 people gathered at Dunstan High School to celebrate the evening.The night was filled with musical performances, good food, and Kapa Haka. Attendees remembered past loved ones and celebrated the year to come. Here are some photos from the evening. Design students made and displayed lights with a Matariki themeThe night featured a traditional Hāngi. Plates were filled with meat, vegetables and breadThe frybread was a popular stop during the night Kumara soup kept attendees warm while also raising money for the Alexandra Foodbank PHOTOS: The Central App

It’s alarming to see how quickly vaping has spread across youth not only in New Zealand but in Central Otago. At local parties, it’s not uncommon to see around 70 per cent of young attendees vaping. What started as an alternative for smokers has quickly turned into a popular product for teens, who struggle to see that vaping has negative health risks.  This may sound familiar to some older readers, who may have once thought the same thing about smoking.“Vaping has been pitched as a positive alternative to smoking so I honestly don’t see it as being harmful to me,” one local teen told me.Vaping was originally pushed as a safer, healthier alternative to smoking with the hopes of New Zealand becoming smoke-free by 2025, but two years later we have a new problem on our hands. A new generation of young people has taken up vaping thanks in part to marketing aimed at young people. The appealing flavours - bubblegum, cola, and tutti frutti - and enticing marketing campaigns targeted at adolescents have led to an alarming rise in underage vaping (a recent survey by ASH New Zealand found daily vaping among 13 to 14-year-olds had shot up by 209 per cent). Both Alexandra and Cromwell have one specialised vape store; however, teens can buy vapes and pods at most supermarkets and dairies. Information about the risks of vaping is readily available but it’s falling on deaf ears.  That’s because we won’t see a noticeable difference in youth vaping levels until society and the government start treating vapes like cigarettes.It is crucial to address this issue responsibly and implement strict regulations to prevent underage access. Nicotine, commonly found in vapes, is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development. But vaping is less harmful to those around you than smoking, as there's no current evidence that second-hand vapour is dangerous to others. And - the recent rise in youth vaping does not negate the potential benefits of vaping for adult smokers. Effective regulations must strike a balance between preventing youth initiation and ensuring adult smokers have access to a less harmful alternative.To fully harness the potential of vaping as a harm reduction tool, it is vital to implement comprehensive regulations and quality control measures. Ensuring product safety, accurate labelling, and responsible marketing practices will contribute to minimising potential risks. By fostering a transparent and well-regulated industry, policymakers can help maximise the positive impact of vaping while safeguarding public health.In New Zealand, Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH) has called for the age to buy vapes to increase from 18 to 21. While the new policy might make it harder to access vapes, it certainly won’t slow down the problem. Teenagers will find a way to access vapes. The government is looking at stricter vaping laws, which are slowly starting to be implemented. For example, new vape stores cannot be located less than 300 metres away from schools and marae, and the sale of cheap disposable vapes has been restricted in a crackdown against youth vaping. While the government and health groups try to address the increasing popularity of vaping among teens, you can find helpful resources here if you are concerned about your teenager vaping. 

For the second time, Dunstan High School is celebrating Matariki with a community focus on Wednesday June 28.Teacher Johni Rutene says Dunstan is “proud to be hosting an event celebrating Matariki in the community”.Celebrations of Matariki are guided by three major principles.These are remembrance - honouring those who we have lost; celebrating the present - gathering together to give thanks for what we have; and looking to the future - looking forward to the promise of a new year. To celebrate, the school will have a busy evening of food, waiata, and kapa haka. Stalls selling a range of food, including star cookies, soup, crepes and fry bread, will be available to keep locals satisfied and warm on the night.There will also be a hāngi with three meat, three vege and stuffing available to purchase through the QR code on the poster, which can be found at Dunstan and around the community. Dunstan’s Kapa Haka will have a ‘flash mob’ performance alongside drama and waiata from students. An exhibition of schoolwork showcasing students' mahi from the year will also be displayed on the night. The event is open to everyone from the community to come together to celebrate the Māori New Year on Wednesday June 28 from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm at Dunstan High School.*Please note the date for ordering Hāngi has been pushed back to Sunday, June 25.Manawatia - a Matariki celebration at Dunstan High School.

Local high school students will continue to face disruption from industrial action this term, as the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) rejected the government’s offer for a settlement earlier this month. The PPTA will continue striking to obtain a new deal from the government in order to improve their pay, work hours, and resourcing. The Central App caught up with teachers, parents and students at Dunstan High School to discover different community perspectives. “My biggest concern about teaching is that we will not be able to recruit good people into this profession. It’s about recruiting and retaining,” English teacher Maria Affleck said.She thinks the salary of a beginner teacher needs to be equal to others in society, especially as teachers earn their bachelor's degrees followed by a teaching diploma. The average salary of a beginner teacher in New Zealand is $55,000. Parents are generally sympathetic towards the teaching staff. “I think that teachers have little other way to get a pay rise; however it's highly inconvenient and students have had enough disruption in recent years through Covid,” Dunstan High School parent Dan said.Dan said “his support for teachers strikes is definitely dropping,” despite his understanding of their reasons for striking. Year 13 student Claudia Hammond said the strikes had affected her learning “greatly”.“I respect the fact that the teachers are standing up for what they deserve; however I find school to be the most productive place for me to do my schoolwork and being removed from the classroom has made me fall behind grades wise.” This statement was also echoed by Dunstan deputy head girl Brooklyn Harrington.“I have found it’s impacted my learning to the point where I now feel like I’m struggling and behind in classes. I understand why the teachers are doing this, but at the same time, it's having detrimental effects on students like me who need class time.” Everyone seems to support the idea of teachers receiving better pay and resources, but those the Central App spoke to feel the strikes have gone on for too long, affecting the education of students who have already had a turbulent high school experience. The strikes will continue for the last two weeks of this term, with students being told to stay home on the following days: Tuesday, June 20: years 11, 12Wednesday, June 21: years 9, 13Thursday, June 22: years 10, 11Monday, June 26: years, 12, 13Tuesday, June 27: years 9, 10Wednesday, June 28: years 11, 12Thursday, June 29: years 9, 13

Four Dunstan High School netball teams travelled to Dunedin for the Otago Secondary Schools netball tournament last Sunday and Monday (June 11-12).While they may not have been top of the table, the tournament was a successful learning experience for all teams, with the players finding it a great way to learn and challenge themselves against teams from across the region. Dunstan joined 56 teams from across the Otago region at the tournament and competed in four sections: Senior A, Senior B, 10A and 9A.Dunstan A vs Queens The Dunstan As finished sixth out of 12 teams. They had a tight semi-final against Wakatipu High School winning 29-28. They then came sixth place with a convincing 37-22 win over Waitaki Girls High School. DHS Senior BThe Senior Bs finished fifth out of eight teams. The team managed to gain fifth place after a tough-fought win against Wakatipu 31-19.  DHS 10A The 10As finished 10th out of 16 teams. After a massive 55-10 win in the pool play against East Otago High School, the team went down in a very close match against Cromwell College 21-25. 9A playing at the Edgar CentreDunstan 9As finished seventh out of 12 teams. They had a big 52-15 win over Waitaki Girls High School in the playoffs and a solid 35-19 win over Taieri College in the seventh/eighth place finals. 

Dunstan High School recently unveiled the renovations of its new science block, also known as A Block. A Block has now been fully transformed into a modern science block, boasting four colourful new labs which will be used for chemistry, physics and biology lessons. “I love the new classrooms, they are functional and fresh and it is so wonderful to be teaching science in spaces that are fit for purpose,” Dunstan High School biology teacher Laura Boulton said.The classrooms have been painted in bright colours and discussions are currently underway around what they will be named.  English, Maori and New Zealand sign language names will be used to reflect the official languages of New Zealand. The decision to renovate A Block was prompted by several factors. The original classrooms had become outdated, meaning a revamp was required to keep the spaces up to modern standards, and new health and safety regulations were introduced which prompted the school to incorporate updated safety features into the classrooms. The new block has a shower in case of a chemical accident, and a button that quickly cuts off gas and electricity supply. Another motivating factor behind the renovation was the scattered arrangement of the previous classrooms which were situated in both A and B Block. This setup posed challenges when it came to moving equipment regularly between classrooms. Transforming A Block into a centralised science block brought equipment and chemicals together, making lessons easier for teachers and students alike. The classroom spaces are now heated appropriately, have a wide range of new equipment and are modern, comfortable spaces, creating an environment where students can work to their full potential. PHOTO: The Central App

A group of 40 Dunstan High School students travelled to Invercargill last Friday (May 26) to perform along with eight other schools from the Otago region. ShowQuest is a performance arts platform for years 1-13 students from across New Zealand. Art, music, dance, drama, culture and technology are all showcased in eight-minute performances.Dunstan is no stranger to winning awards at ShowQuest; last year the school placed third overall and won best lighting and choreography. This year, Dunstan came away with best theme, highly commended lighting, and the ZM soundtrack award. Participants support one of their team in the airSenior students Rose Wearing and Starla Hubber were in charge of the mammoth task of brainstorming and choreographing the performance.“I have danced for 23 years of my life,” Rosie said. “Ballet is my strong point. My background in dance really helped with the choreography, just being able to tell what was going to look good with a large group of students and making sure our choreography was effective.” Dancers perform for the audienceThe theme of Dunstan’s performance was support networks.  “We wanted to explore and show that support is all around you in all different forms such as teachers, friends, family and helplines,” Rose said. “We chose it because everyone needs support throughout their life, especially at high school age.” Rose said she was proud of the whole performance. “Everyone contributed and for a small school Dunstan did well.” The choreography had the large group of students working together 

Alexandra film producer Will Nelson has won the prestigious Best Cinematography Award at the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival.The New Zealand Mountain Film Festival celebrates adventure sports, premiering in Wānaka and touring the country annually.Will produced the documentary Flow State about highlining: a form of extreme slacklining at high elevations over rivers, valleys, and similar terrain.The documentary follows two slackliners as they challenge themselves within their sport, confront past trauma and become better men - all while being 1000 metres above the ground. Will loved being able to work with such amazing people. “The Highliners welcomed us in like family.”The documentary was created over the duration of a year as a part of Will’s last year at Massey University in Wellington and was filmed mostly in Queenstown. Will created the documentary with help from director and editor Jacob Bowling and production manager Kees McKahon. The team worked on overcoming challenges to film the documentary, such as using high-end camera equipment in the snow with heavy packs. “I have watched the festival for many years growing up and have always been inspired by the films that are in there - I always knew I wanted to be there as a filmmaker,” Will told the Central AppWill was “absolutely stoked” when awarded Best Cinematography.He also was fortunate enough to attend the New Zealand Cinematographers Awards, picking up a Gold Award in the Student Category. Will is soon heading off on his OE, travelling to South East Asia and Europe, so more exciting films are likely to be in store. 

Alexandra put on displays of pink to celebrate Pink Shirt Day on Friday (May 19), a day focused on standing up to bullying.Dunstan High School students were some of the many people participating. On top of having a pink mufti day, around 200 students from the high school’s Rees and Pyke House took to the community. Students baked for the communityActivities included visiting Ranui Home and Hospital, going to Alexandra Primary School to play games with the young students, making posters, chalk art, and baking for the community. All the activities focused on spreading kindness to those across the town. Student Isla Redgrave helped with running games at Alex Primary. “The kids matched our excitement and indulged themselves fully into our games. It was fulfilling to see their faces light up,” she said. Making posters spreading words of kindness and anti-bullying messages was “good fun” according to student Hamish. Baking done on Friday will be distributed around the community to rest homes, schools, and businesses next week. Creations included black forest slice, apricot slice, lolly cake and Mars bar slice. The students hope the activities will become an annual event to coincide with Pink Shirt Day and its values. PHOTOS: The Central App

Last week (Monday, May 8) students from across the country - including Central Otago - headed to Dunedin to get a taste of university life. At Otago University’s annual open day students could learn more about subjects they were interested in, from professors and current students; go for tours around the halls of residence; and explore the university. Forty-three Dunstan High School students from Alexandra headed down for the day. Otago University is a big attraction for Dunstan students due to the university's close proximity to Alexandra, making it easy for students to visit home. Otago’s fees are also generally cheaper compared to other universities like Auckland or Victoria making it attractive to many students.The Central App caught up with several Dunstan students who attended the open day and asked them about their experiences. Emily Attfield, a Year 13 student at Dunstan, said she was “taken away by the architecture” and found the day eye-opening. “I thought it was the only nice part of Dunedin,” she said.Emily is still unsure about what she wants to study but said the day helped her come up with some new possibilities. Student Ashlea West said it was “really inspiring” and made her excited about university. She loved the vibes and thought the uni and the halls were welcoming.Ashlea was planning on going to Otago, however, the open day confirmed her view that it is the place for her. She’s planning on studying first-year Health Sciences next year with the aim of getting into medical school, and the open day introduction made her excited about her future study. Student Claudia Hammond said: “There were lots of like-minded people and it opened me to courses that I didn’t think I would originally be interested in.”Next year, Claudia is planning to study Fine Arts or Global Studies.Although she’s undecided on which university, she found the open day beneficial. She started the day not knowing what Global Studies was and came away feeling it could be a course she would be interested in. In 2022, approximately 35 Dunstan students - 40 per cent of the Dunstan 2022 Year 13 students - went to Dunedin to study at Otago University or Polytechnic. 

It’s Mother's Day tomorrow (Sunday May 14) so it’s time to plan something special for your Mum.When the Central App asked Central Otago young people about their intentions for Mother's Day, food and spending time together were the main themes. “I’m planning to buy my mum some Lindor chocolates because they’re her favourite,” Dunstan High School year 13 student Cuillan Barnes said.Many students are opting for the classic failsafe breakfast in bed, whether that's pancakes, eggs on toast, or Mum’s favourite breakfast.“I’m going to bake my mum a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. I think it is an important day to show her I’m grateful for all that she does,” Year 9 student Lotte Druce said.Popular ideas seemed to be spending time with Mum, either walking the dog, going out for lunch, or doing something else together.“I’m going to spend the day appreciating my mum,” Ashlea West, another Dunstan High School student, said.Others thought they would help with more chores, like helping with the laundry or mowing the lawns. Mothers Day became popularly observed by Kiwis in the 1920s and is traditionally celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May. The origins of Mother’s Day can be traced back to ancient civilizations; however, the modern day celebration as we know it started in the United States. It spread its way to other countries and a group of Auckland women started promoting the idea until it became recognised in New Zealand. The Central App wishes all Central Otago mums a happy Mother's Day for Sunday. 

While the coronation may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience which some people will watch avidly, Central Otago youth have a different perspective.There has been little to no talk about the coronation at local schools and the coronation seems to have gone under young people’s radar. Prior to the King's coronation on Saturday (May 6) the Central App surveyed 10 young Central Otago people to ask their thoughts. Four out of 10 people said they understood the significance of the event but none of the respondents said they would watch the coronation. The results echo a changing attitude towards the monarchy in New Zealand. Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern speculated that New Zealand would eventually become a republic and drop the British monarch as its head of state. Local youth seem to agree.“I don’t really think we need to be associated with the British monarchy,” one respondent said. “They don’t really provide us with any benefits.” Another said: “It’s a whole lot of excitement over nothing, why do we even need a royal family?”But not everyone had a negative view of the monarchy. “I like the monarchy more for the sense of tradition. Since we have a fairly neutral relationship with the royal family I think we might as well keep it,” one person said. A 2022 poll by Newshub shows a similar divide of feelings amongst New Zealanders.The poll asked: “When Queen Elizabeth is no longer Queen, should New Zealand break away from the Commonwealth and become a republic?” Forty-eight per cent said no, they would prefer to remain, and 36.4 per cent said yes.

Dunstan High School Year 12 student Isla Nelson gained new leadership skills at the Pacific Student Leaders Programme in Rarotonga earlier this month.The leadership programme is for motivated high school students from New Zealand, Australia and the Cook Islands and is run by Future Leaders Academy Rangatira mō āpōpō. Isla told the Central App she chose to attend the course because “it looked like a cool opportunity to experience a different culture, while gaining leadership skills and meeting new people from across the Pacific”.Isla, along with 60 other motivated Kiwi, Aussie and Pasifika students, spent seven days honing her leadership skills and learning about Rarotongan culture. She was kept busy visiting local businesses, attending cultural performances, and helping clean up beaches.She had the opportunity to eat food from an umu, visit local markets and run a leadership session in a local secondary school, which allowed her to see how local Rarotongans live. Isla reported the experiences helped her improve her goal-setting skills, enhance her communication, and learn how to work with a diverse group of people. Isla said the “coolest activity” was visiting famous artist and carver Mike Tarioni’s gallery (a space for cultural learning and art for people of all ages and backgrounds) where she got to make some carvings and pareos (sarongs). She said she wholeheartedly recommended the programme to Central Otago students in Years 12-13 who are interested in learning more about Pasifika culture and meeting new people. Isla thanked Pulse Energy and the Alexandra Rotary Club for giving her funding to make the trip. The programmes run two to three times a year on various Pacific Islands. Applications for future programmes this year in Tonga and Samoa are open now. 

While many locals attended Anzac services in Central, some Year 13 Dunstan High School students experienced Anzac Day on a much bigger scale this year. The group of 12 history students were at the National War Memorial in Auckland for the dawn service on April 25.The Dunstan students were part of a crowd of thousands who gathered in the cold outside the Auckland Museum from 5am. Dunstan students outside the Auckland War Memorial Museum The dawn service was attended by veterans of numerous wars, as well as politicians such as deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni and opposition leader Christopher Luxon.“It was cool knowing that you were in the same place as all those veterans,” local student Cuillan Barnes said. Speeches and wreath laying were followed by a fly-over by a Hercules. A Hercules flew over during commemorative speechesAttending the service was part of a larger itinerary for the students that spanned over six days. “The whole trip was a fantastic opportunity to learn about New Zealand's history and then celebrate those who fought for the country. It was a very poignant moment being there,” one student said. 

Having a computer write your school assignments is a tempting prospect, and now that temptation has become a reality for Central Otago students. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led to the creation of Chat GPT, a language processing tool driven by AI that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with the chatbot. The language model can answer questions and assist you with tasks like composing emails, essays, and code. Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence.AI is achieved through the development of algorithms and computer programmes that can learn and adapt from the data they are given. The goal of AI is to create machines that can perform tasks typically performed by humans, with greater speed, accuracy, and efficiency.Chat GPT is free and easily accessible through phones and laptops. Schools have started to block Chat GPT but students, including those here in Central, have still had the opportunity to test it out. “I haven’t used it to write an internal for me but I’ve definitely asked it questions about my topic if I’ve gotten stuck. It’s actually a really good resource,” one Dunstan student told the Central App.Another student agreed, saying: “I think the technology is dangerous in terms of plagiarism but it can also be useful.” While this technology has its benefits, there are downsides. In the academic world, plagiarism can lead to severe consequences such as failing a course or being expelled from the institution.Plagiarism is an unethical practice, and it undermines the values of honesty, originality, and creativity. It can also create an unfair advantage for the individual or organisation involved.Plagiarism can also lead to a decline in the quality of work being produced. When people engage in plagiarism, they are not producing original content, but instead are recycling someone else's work, which can affect the quality of the work being produced.ChatGPT can be misused to generate content that is not original, and this can lead to accusations of plagiarism. It is important to use ChatGPT responsibly and ethically and to give proper credit when using content generated by the language model.If you’re wondering how good AI is, the parts of this article in italics were written using Chat GPT. Want to try it for yourself? You can sign up here.

Is your child spending hours on TikTok these holidays? Should you be worried? TikTok has been picked up by most teenagers across the world - and it comes with problems. The app has over 2.6 billion downloads worldwide and one billion monthly users. It's safe to say the app has taken the world by storm since its release in September 2016.TikTok was once an app where anyone could share seven-second videos, mainly lip syncing to songs. Now, videos can be up to 10 minutes long. You can find just about anything on TikTok currently, and this comes with positives and negatives. The Central App surveyed 10 Central Otago youth and found that on average, they estimate they spend between two and a half to three hours on TikTok daily. TikTok’s format of short videos has been linked to decreased attention spans in teenagers. Other issues such as data privacy and protection have caused countries to ban TikTok altogether. TikTok is run by Chinese company ByteDance which has a close relationship with the Chinese government.This has led to fears the app is being used as a tool for the Chinese government to collect and exploit user data or spread propaganda.In June 2020, India was the first country to ban TikTok due to security fears. Following that, the United States government almost banned Tiktok for the same concerns. While TikTok does have some censorship settings, users have access to a wide range of videos, people and topics. TikTok’s situation is not unique with apps like Facebook facing the same scrutiny.As with any social media app, it is important to be aware of what you’re putting online, the terms and conditions you agree to, and knowing the limits. Find advice for NZ parents about Tik Tok here.

This will be a busy year for the Central Otago Youth Council, which has around 12 new members this year and big plans on the table. The Central Otago Youth Council - made up of year 10-13 students from Alexandra - aims to make community-based decisions that positively impact young people in our community. Anyone who is in year 10-13 at high school in Alexandra can join. The Youth Council follows a similar structure to a normal board: Members have taken up the roles of facilitator, chairperson and a deputy chairperson. This year roles may expand to include a secretary, treasurer and media person.New facilitator Ella Jackson said she was excited to take up the role“I have had my eye on the facilitator role for the Youth Council since I started at Punarangatahi last year,” Ella said.The Youth Council also teaches rangatahi the skills needed to sit on a council or board while supporting them to act on youth-specific issues within the community. “I am most looking forward to seeing the members interact with the district council and community boards,” Ella said.Tabitha Hilyard, who was a member of the council for three years and the chairperson last year, said she has learnt skills like creating and following an agenda, improving her public speaking skills, and opening herself to different viewpoints. The first mission for the Youth Council is to create a ‘youth census’, which is sent to primary and secondary schools in Alexandra to collect information about students’ home life, school, community and social media.There are also plans for the council to hold various events during national Youth Week (May 15-21) which is organised by young people.This year’s theme is ‘leaders for today, leavers of tomorrow’.The Youth Council with its 2022 Blossom Festival float There are further plans for the Youth Council to work closely with Central Otago District Council members this year. “I believe they both have a lot to learn from each other and working together will have a positive effect on the community,” Ella said.One of Tabitha's biggest achievements while on the council was the Candidate Speed Q&A, which gave young people an opportunity to talk to Central Otago District Council members before last year's election. “It was great to talk to gain an insight into their intentions,” Tabitha said. The Youth Council gives young people an opportunity to voice concerns about their future and get involved in the community, Tabitha said. “I would strongly encourage joining the Youth Council if you want your voice to be heard.”