Middle Harbour Public School Green Initiatives

Middle Harbour Public School (MHPS) accommodates roughly 390 Sydney students and is one of Australia's most outstanding schools. It has been at the forefront of implementing green initiatives within the school and local community.

Their first steps towards becoming a sustainable school focused on making positive environmental changes on school grounds. They have incorporated extra garden beds (including a native garden), composting waste, yearly water and energy audits and installed rain water tanks and solar panels into their educational program.

MHPS teaches their students about ongoing environmental issues and also how to live sustainable i.e. methods for energy saving, recycling. In 1991 a Green Team was formed to put into place some of these environmental practices. The Green Team meets to discuss and decide what action is to be taken on various environmental issues, such as what planting needs to be done in the playground.

Volunteers are responsible for weeding, removing rubbish and re-vegetating the garden area when necessary. A group of parents, with special knowledge about sustainability methods, also came together to help give advice and assistance to MHPS.

The school has also installed 4 rainwater tanks and an irrigation system as part of its green initiatives. The water units are recorded and used by teachers to educate students about water conservation. These tanks have helped to reduce the water consumption rate by 70%.

Principal Judith Smith has incorporated a School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) into running of the Middle Harbour Public School. It is a way of integrating environmental education into all aspects of the school by creating goals and documenting the progress of the school towards these. A school committee of teachers and executives was also created, to monitor the sustainable living program, which is now part of the curriculum.

In 2005 solar panels were installed on the roof of the library. MHPS needed to raise $1,000 for solar panels from DEUS. To raise the money, the parents' sustainability committee came up with the idea of making and selling 'Green cards'. These green cards were sold by the students, for $15.00 each and gave the holder a discount of 10-15% off at local stores. This encouraged the community to buy locally and to walk, instead of driving, to their get their groceries. The parents, children and community all got involved in this project. It was very successful in raising the funds for the solar panels.

Links to check out for more information:
Sustainable Schools NSW
Greenfleet
NSW Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability (DUES)

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