Page 3807 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 22 November 2006
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collection stored in large underground water storage tanks that will provide water for reuse in toilet flushing, plant and garden bed irrigation and for cleaning paved areas. I hope also that some of that water might be available to provide irrigation for the neighbourhood and district ovals in the areas. As well, low maintenance environmentally friendly materials will be used in the construction of the school and a building management system providing intelligent building controls for lighting, heating and ventilation will be put in place.
This design builds on the success of the Amaroo School. I have mentioned before that the school won an environment and energy building efficiency award from the MBA. The Amaroo School has solar hot water panels to supplement the in-slab heating and hot water systems. It has natural ventilation systems to cool the school; roof mounted photovoltaic cells to generate electricity; a wind turbine and water storage tanks to collect stormwater for recycling within the school.
The approach to design applies not just to Harrison and Amaroo. I think the new outdoor school at Birrigai that was completed in May this year also addresses sustainability issues. It makes use of solar power, low water use appliances and natural ventilation and lighting. The new west Belconnen school will also follow these design principles and will be responsive to the demands of environmental sustainability.
It is not just new buildings. We are also seeking to retrofit our older school buildings. The average age of ACT schools is about 33 years. What we are seeking to do, under the sustainable schools pilot program that is operating in 13 government schools, is to coordinate each school’s approach to environmental sustainability through the establishment of school environmental management plans. These plans will complement existing programs in schools such as EnergySmart Schools, Waste Watch, Water Watch, Water Wise and Landcare.
We are seeking to retrofit older schools. One example is Campbell high school. In April 2001, it was the first school in the ACT to supply electricity from the sun to the local grid. Farrer primary school has a separate and purpose-built environment centre, which forms a hub for science and environmental educational activities for all the students across the school. In the last couple of weeks my colleague Mr Hargreaves mentioned that Hawker primary school was recently awarded the ACT government’s No Waste award.
Mr Hargreaves: Not for the first time, I might add.
MR BARR: Indeed, Mr Hargreaves. These are but a few of the projects that have been undertaken in our schools, and there are many more examples.
An ecologically sustainable approach is the responsible approach and the government will continue to support an expansion of this approach through all our schools. A major component of the government’s $90 million investment in public education to upgrade our schools over the next four years will be to retrofit older schools to make them more ecologically sustainable. The government will be taking advice from groups such as the Green Building Council of Australia, who are currently developing
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