High school student Jonah Grimshaw told the president of the legislative council the smoke from the 2019 Victorian bushfires reached his lungs from over 700km away.

"I felt that familiar heat, I smelt that pollen in the air, a mosquito bit me on the back of my knee," he said.

Mr Grimshaw was one of 14 students to take part in the regional roadshow's public speaking competition attended by president of the NSW Legislative Council, Ben Franklin.

Mr Franklin, the previous Minister for regional youth, said the event gives students an opportunity to tell policy makers "what their future looks like and what they think the priorities should be".

The high school students from the central west area spoke on issues that were close to their hearts .

Mr Grimshaw spoke to the CWD before his sp

See Full Page