(Back, from left) Council director of infrastructure Mark Dalzell, South School teacher Jacqueline Kerry, Cr Shannon Sampson, former Deni South student Taylah Betts, Olivia Armytage, Madison Keel, Mayor Peta Betts, Deputy Mayor Paul Fellows, chief executive officer Phil Stone; (middle) Travis Hanns, Jorja Woolston, Seth Fuess, Isabella Sommerfeld and Crs Shirlee Burge and Pat Fogarty; (front) Cr Tarria Moore, South Deputy Prime Minister Grace O’Connor, South Prime Minister Olivia Jeffrey and principal Liz Dudley.
Local councillors and leaders of Deniliquin South School exchanged ideas on how to improve the school and the community as part of a special project this week.
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Members of the Deni South Parliament - made up of Year 6 students - visited council chambers on Tuesday following the monthly council meeting.
The students asked some pressing questions, and were given the chance to experience what it’s like to be a part of council.
They were ready with questions written by themselves and their peers.
South minister Isabella Sommerfeld raised the issue of there being no safe area for families to drop students off to school, or for staff to park their vehicles.
“We only have the bus stop area, which isn’t very safe for ‘kiss and drops’, and there is also no teacher parking. How do we look at fixing that?” Isabella said.
Chief executive officer Phil Stone discussed the topic with Isabella and South School teacher Jacqueline Kerry, asking if there is a specific area they have considered using for a parking and drop off area.
Mrs Kerry confirmed that the school has considered an area that is within close proximity and is currently unused.
“It is definitely something we can look into,” Mr Stone said.
Fellow South minister Seth Fuess raised a second concern with Deputy Mayor Paul Fellows.
Seth highlighted a lack of designated play areas for children in the south east of Deniliquin.
He explained that many of the children in that area have begun creating their own recreational area, using gardening tools to construct their own bike tracks.
“There’s a big patch of grass that no one uses (at the corner of Crispe and Falkiner Sts).
“We’ve started trying to use it because there’s really no play area where we live.”
Cr Fellows expressed great interest in the issue, praising Seth and the other children for their resourcefulness.
Once the students had their chance to put questions to council, the councillors asked a few of their own.
Councillors discussed the plan to double Deniliquin’s population by 2050, and asked the students to suggest what developments might keep them in town and could also attract new residents.
Olivia Armytage said it would be a good idea to have more clothing stores for kids, while other parliament members suggested more entertainment activities, including the possibility of a movie theatre.
South School parliament taking their seats in the council chambers.
(Back) Travis Hanns, Olivia Armytage, Jorja Woolston. Seth Fuess, Isabella Sommerfeld and Madison Keel; (front) South School’s Deputy Prime Minister Grace O'Connor and Prime Minister Olivia Jeffrey.
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