Page 3995 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 12 December 2006
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commonwealth, to develop close partnerships with the community. Funding and in-kind support provided by the ACT government, together with the funding from the commonwealth Department of the Environment and Heritage, has provided the opportunity for 20 of the ACT’s 150 government and non-government schools, ranging from preschool to college, to participate in a sustainable schools pilot during 2006-07.
The ACT government recognises the significant current and long-term benefits of continuing the excellent progress made with schools in the pilot and is committed to continuing and expanding the program. The sustainable schools initiative is action based and involves the whole school community in the sustainable management of the school. It addresses a range of issues including energy and water consumption, waste, biodiversity, landscape design, products and material use, as well as providing the opportunity to achieve curriculum requirements in key learning areas.
During this financial year, 10 water audits have been undertaken as part of the pilot program and another 14 audits have been scheduled. Reports from completed audits will be made available to the schools to assist them to develop an environmental management plan, which will provide schools with an achievable, sustainable framework in which to manage waste, water and energy.
As an indicator of the dedication of these schools and the success of the program, Hawker primary, one of the pilot schools, won the schools category in the recent No Waste Awards. The No Waste Awards is an important annual event that provides formal recognition of the waste avoidance and minimisation efforts of leading organisations and businesses within our community. This year’s awards were the most hotly contested to date, with a higher standard and more submissions than in previous years.
The word is spreading and these awards are an important part of communicating the importance of no waste throughout the wider community. This year’s winners were clear leaders in their sector. From schools to community groups, businesses to government, these organisations are all making exceptional efforts towards sustainable waste management. What they all have in common is the desire to reduce their waste and therefore the footprint they leave on the environment. This year’s awards provided many significant success stories of waste being innovatively avoided, reduced, reused and recycled. Significantly, many of the winners extended their efforts beyond waste minimisation towards real sustainability.
The awards featured some outstanding entries, particularly in the business category. The government category was also hotly contested, with several federal departments effectively communicating their excellent efforts in responsible waste management. It should be a matter of pride to all of us here that the ACT Legislative Assembly has been commended for its efforts in establishing an innovative and effective waste management system throughout the building. This initiative shows true leadership across the ACT government and demonstrates our clear commitment to the no waste strategy.
The no waste strategy provides a clear example of the government’s commitment to the sustainable use of our resources. Another example of this is our commitment to
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