Schools compete for 2009 Melaleuca Award
11 June 2009 - Media Release
Schools compete for 2009 Melaleuca Environmental Excellence Award
Power and Water Corporation’s annual Melaleuca Awards were developed in 2003 to recognise outstanding achievement in environmental excellence in the Northern Territory. This year five schools have been nominated in the ‘Schools’ category of the Awards to be announced next Wednesday.
Submissions have been received from Darwin primary schools at Millner, Nightcliff and Larrakeyah, three submissions were made by Living Waters in Alice Springs, and one by Papunya School in the Papunya Community 252kms north-west of Alice Springs.
The diversity and innovativeness of the submissions has been making judging a difficult task for the judges who are all environmental specialists.
Millner Primary replaced their 1968 assembly hall with a sustainable community hall providing 505sq. metres of space which opened earlier this year. Known as Green Hall, design features include no air-conditioning, a transpiration garden to aid the cooling properties of the building, water tanks, insulation and a 4.7kw solar energy system to run industrial sized fans. It is estimated Green Hall will save more than $10,000 in operating costs and 46 tonnes of green house gas emissions a year.
Nightcliff Eco Rangers are year 5 and 6 students who get together weekly to develop action plans to reduce energy consumption, the school’s carbon footprint and other environmental issues. Having spent the day with Planet Savers completing an energy audit of the school, the Eco Rangers now educate, measure and reward the efforts of other students. They have a detailed action plan for the year and are role models for other students.
Creating a Specialist Science Teacher position last year has provided Larrakeyah Primary with the opportunity to implement an extensive gardening project. Students not only participate in the garden as part of their science studies but choose to do jobs at recess and lunch time taking great pride in the results. They are able to not only pick their own produce, but use it in their cooking activities. Sustainability is a key focus of the program which not only includes edible plants and free range chickens for eggs, but composting and recycling.
Living Waters’ projects include a no dig garden, papermaking and water efficiency programs. Students propagate seeds and have a worm farm in their no-dig garden and products made from papermaking are sold. A grant from Power and Water last year enabled the school to install dual flush toilets and it is the first school in the Territory to implement waterless urinals in the boys’ toilets.
Papunya School has initiated a waste management program to reduce rubbish going to landfill. As transport distances are a challenge to take away recyclable materials, the school is composting all its paper and food waste. The students then use the compost to plant more trees around the school to provide shade and to help Aged Care with its garden.
In the Top End, Millner has built a sustainable community hall, Nightcliff Year 5 and 6 students are Eco Ranger role models and at Larrakeyah have a garden and chook pen that produces foods the students grow, tend, collect and cook.
Winners in each category will be announced on Wednesday 17 June.
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