Ōtātara School pupils are having their say on the future of their community's domain.

The opportunity was initiated by the Invercargill City Council (ICC) as part of it's Sandy Point Domain management consultation process.

The Sandy Point Domain Masterplan - setting out the strategic vision for the domain, was released in September, while the Domain management plan was opened for consultation in October.

Pupils met with Community Wellbeing Committee chairperson, ICC Councillor  Darren Ludlow, and staff from Council’s Parks and Strategy, Policy and Engagement teams.

Ludlow said he had thoroughly enjoyed hearing the ideas the pupils had.

“We don’t often get young people sharing their views, so to see how enthusiastic they were was really encouraging."

"I think we don’t always give young people enough credit when it comes to understanding what is happening in their communities, or in the wider world around them."

"But the reality is, the decisions we make in local government have a real impact on their lives – not just today, but in the future as well.”

"The thoughts they shared were really articulate and well-considered, and they’d clearly put a huge effort into their work," Ludlow said.

Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said it has been fantastic to see the tamariki of Ōtātara School get involved in this process, take ownership, and ensure their views are among those shared by the community.

Both the Management Plan and Masterplan were key pieces in the puzzle to ensure the area continued to be a valued part of the community, she said.

Ōtātara School teacher Carla Werder said the school Ariki and Leaders had worked in every class, gathering insights and feedback from pupils aged between 5 years old to 11 years old, on their collective submission.

The pupils had enjoyed learning more about the Sandy Point area, and ‘dreamcasting’ when it came to its potential for the future, she said.

“It has allowed our akonga to feel heard, and a part of the bigger picture of the future of Ōtātara.”

Pupils hoped to speak to their formal submission in front of Councillors later in the consultation process, she said.

Eleven-year-old Sophie Harvey said she wanted the Sandy Point Domain to be a healthy, pleasant place for people to walk their dogs.

She and her family often walked their family pet there, but she had noticed issues with both rubbish and litter, as well as plants that could be dangerous for animals, she said.

“It makes me a wee bit upset, angry, and sad,” she said.

“Looking at it [Sandy Point Domain] you can see it’s very pretty, and you can get a really good feeling there."

"People want to take their dogs there, but it needs to be made better.”

Meanwhile, Harper McDowall and Max McKenzie (both eight) were keen to see more development of the mountain bike trail network.

Both used the existing network at Sandy Point Domain, and took part in local competitions, as did their families.

“Some of the tracks are really boring,” Max said.

“I would like some super cool tracks with big jumps – more fun ones.”

Harper said she wanted to see more variety in the tracks, to suit different skill levels.

“I want some super-duper ones that are really fun, and my dad could have some really hard ones,” she said.