A 2006 Year 12 student from Cecil Hills has completed a Major School Project with a brief to improve the recreational facilities in the Cecil Hills Lakes Reserve. A Draft Plan of Management was also produced and submitted to LCC for the improvements in October 2006. A groundswell of interest needs to be directed towards the Environmental Planner in LCC to lever Council action to address the Draft Plan of Management.

The student followed a design process by firstly identifying the need for more recreational facilities in the Reserve. The local community and Year 7-10 students at the local High School provided information to complete over 700 surveys.

Seven common recreational improvements were identified from these surveys and designs were developed in consultation with key professionals in their fields with a focus on sustainability.

Appropriate Councillors were also sought for input and evaluation. The Project was also presented to the community for evaluation at the Cecil Hills shopping centre. The Council and community evaluations were very positive.

Such was the depth and detail of the student's Project that it received an award from the Minister for Education and is on display in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney until March 2007. The Project also won the 2006 National Sustainable Lifestyle Award sponsored by the United Nations and the University of NSW.

Ironically, this excellent piece of work for the community of Cecil Hills requires more than its merit to drive it through Council. It needs you and me to be on the phone regularly enquiring about its progress to seek State and Federal Government funding to see it out from under a desk pile and built in our own Reserve.

Enquiries can be directed to the Environmental Planner, Liverpool City Council.