Newsletters 2024

Kylea moderating an intergenerational community discussion about social media and its impacts on youth mental health.

Our world is more complex than ever, and there is no easy fix for many of the social issues we face today. From housing affordability to youth mental health to fair educational opportunities for every Australian child, it is clear that we need to look beyond the "easy and popular" proposals if we are to truly deliver the outcomes we seek.

In that vein, I found it incredibly helpful to host a group of about 70 parents, young Australians and mental health experts last week to discuss the Government's proposed youth social media ban.

There is no doubt that Australia is facing a youth mental health crisis, with two in five 16-24 year olds experiencing a mental health disorder in the past year, according to the most recent ABS statistics. Many are concerned about the bullying and problematic content that young people are exposed to online. As a parent of teens, I am certainly no exception.

That said, any nationwide social media ban must be firmly rooted in evidence, and youth mental health experts are warning that a ban may actually do more harm than good. We cannot afford to pin our kids' mental health on a plan that looks good on paper but is unlikely to deliver real improvements.

You can see some of the diverse concerns discussed at last week's social media community forum here. I’m looking forward to discussing this further in Parliament in the coming weeks, and sharing some of the ideas and concerns that we’ve been talking about here in North Sydney.

In other local news, the Sydney Airport Community Forum (SACF) met again this week. The forum once again discussed how Airservices Australia is implementing noise sharing modes at Sydney Airport, following continued complaints about increased aircraft noise in Lane Cove, Hunters Hill and surrounds.

Disappointingly, North Sydney is still experiencing twice the noise levels originally envisaged by the noise sharing protocols. And while it is our community that has been leading the charge for a fairer distribution of air traffic, we're not the only ones suffering from disproportionately high levels of noise, with Grayndler, Bennelong and Bradfield also affected. This has impacted the everyday lives, and physical and mental wellbeing of residents, as I reported to the Senate Inquiry into Aircraft Noise earlier this year.

Given Airservices' lack of progress to date, it will now be required to report on its implementation of noise sharing and progress at every future SACF meeting. I will continue to keep the pressure on Aiservices and use North Sydney’s voice at SACF to push for a more equitable aircraft noise sharing outcome.

Thank you as always for your continued feedback and support. If there is anything my team or I can help you with, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

- KT

HAVE YOUR SAY

The North Sydney Childcare Forum is seeking practical and effective policy solutions to improve the affordability and accessibility of Early Childhood Education and Care.

We'd love to hear from you: to improve ECEC affordability and accessibility, what’s the one big policy idea that you think we should push Canberra to consider? Have your say here.

A Senate Inquiry into the Aged Care Bill 2024 [Provisions] is inviting members of the public to weigh in on the Government's proposed reforms.

Click here to find out more about the proposed reforms, and make a submission here by Monday 30 September.

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

IN THE NEWS

Teals lash Labor for coalmines decision ($) - The Australian, 25 September 2024. Kylea has described the Albanese Government's approval of three coal mine extensions as “climate and environmental vandalism”. “This decision fails young people, and fails future generations,” she says.

Housing as a human right? With Alan Kohler and Kevin Bell - ABC Radio National, 23 September 2024. Former Supreme Court Judge of Victoria Kevin Bell argues that housing in Australia should be viewed as a fundamental human right. Kylea and ACT Senator David Pocock have proposed this in a Private Members Bill that is currently being considered by a Senate Inquiry.

Albanese urged to ditch Howard-era native forest logging exemptions - The Guardian, 22 September 2024. Kylea is among a group of independent parliamentarians that has written to PM pushing for environment law reforms to remove exemptions for native forest logging.

The teals stunned the nation in 2022. How have they changed the parliament? ($) - SMH, 21 September 2024. An analysis of how community independent crossbenchers have voted in parliament. Kylea is reported to have "campaigned for a human rights act, on climate change and against bullying in the parliament" so far, and will focus on affordable housing and climate action in the months ahead.

More media mentions here.