SCHOOL ovals closed off from public use has become the focus of one city councillor's plea to see them reopened.
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It was just last year when frustrations were aired after another high school placed security gates around its sporting fields and basketball courts, stopping residents from using these spaces.
Wagga councillor Dan Hayes, however wants to take a motion to Monday night's council meeting requesting the council develop partnerships with schools and the Department of Education to reopen green spaces at those fenced off schools.
Cr Hayes said the gates around Kooringal and Mount Austin high schools has meant residents of those suburbs have lost valuable open spaces that are "hard to get back" in developed areas.
Although he understands the rationale behind protecting infrastructure, he said these schools are hubs and closing them off to the community was a step backwards.
"If the community are using these open spaces it increases that connection and ownership of their local schools," he said.
"A big open space (fenced off) seems to have been made by a bureaucratic decision instead of what is the best benefit ... and each school is different, we aren't looking for a blanket rule here."
In other news:
Depending on the success of this motion, the council could reach out to schools and the department to develop options to re-open access to the school ovals.
Cr Hayes said the first step was gaining the support of principals and the department before they start looking at how it will be achieved.