Projects and Partners

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Local Council Projects

Background 

Our environment - it's a living thing partnered with councils and community groups to bring innovative environment education projects to communities around NSW.

75 councils in NSW have conducted their own sustainability education project or participated in a joint project with other councils.

Project activities 

Projects centred on educating for sustainable living. Activities were undertaken by individual councils, projects included:

• Footprints – calculate the sustainability of your lifestyle
• Focus on waste – reduce, reuse and recycle
• Focus on waste – working with Youth
• Protecting the environment – family events
• Backyard sustainability
• Householder Sustainable Living project

Outcomes and successes 

Here are some of the great projects already underway:

Footprints – calculate the sustainability of your lifestyle

A joint initiative by North Sydney, Lane Cove and Willoughby councils, the Footprints project involved 30 volunteers taking an 'eco-challenge' to reduce their ecological footprint.

Participants calculated the sustainability of their lifestyle and were challenged to find ways to reduce their impact.

The volunteers found they were able to reduce the average number of worlds required for their lifestyle from 5.9 to 4.6 with actions such as setting up worm farms and switching to low energy-use light globes.

The Footprints volunteers aged 25-40 enjoyed meeting like-minded neighbours at a range of activities, as well as being involved in an online community and advice network. Members are able to post questions, ideas and experiences to the whole group via the website.

Footprints is planned to continue – and you can be part of the sharing and learning by joining the email group. To join please send a blank email to footprinters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au or contact your council representative.

Focus on waste – reduce, reuse and recycle

Cowra Council has focused on waste - using the reduce, reuse, recycle message. Cowra residents received a publication revealing the risks that come with generating too much waste.

Promoting their materials recycling facility also helped Cowra Council to significantly reduce waste going to landfill. Cowra surveyed their residents' waste service needs, and the results are informing Cowra's long term waste management plan.

Cowra plans to share and compare their information with other regional councils. To find out more contact the Cowra Council.

Focus on waste – working with Youth

Bathurst Council is working with the Youth Council to promote waste reduction among young people in local schools and at community events.

Plans are afoot for future Bathurst 1000 motor races, held in October at Mount Panorama, to be a wastewise event. To find out more contact the Bathurst Council.

Protecting the environment – free family events

Pittwater and Warringah Councils are holding free family events – bushwalks and dip-netting in local creeks to promote the Northern Beaches unique environment, and to demonstrate ways to protect it.

Find out about upcoming events from: Warringah Council or Pittwater Council websites, or call the Coastal Environment Centre on (02) 9970 6905.

Backyard sustainability

Liverpool, Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly Councils and the Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living are encouraging local residents to look into their backyards to learn how they can live more sustainability.

Householder Sustainable Living project

Hastings, Baulkham Hills and Pittwater Councils and several Netwaste Councils participated in the Householder Sustainable Living (HSL) project in 2004-2005.

HSL is a structured learning project for environmental educators to see how they can better integrate their environmental education with their council's other household services.

This successful model has been incorporated into all council assistance in 2005/6. For further information about this project contact the waste programs coordinator at Hastings Council on (02) 6581 8577.

Resource materials 

A range of resources have been produced by project participants – contact them directly for more information.

How to get involved and find out more 

If you want to find out more about sustainability projects happening in your area, contact your local council.

Councils planning to run an environmental education project can apply to the Environmental Trust for funding.

For further information contact the Environmental Trust on (02) 8837 6093 or email envirotrust@environment.nsw.gov.au.

Follow these steps when planning a community education project.

Project partner 

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW

The NSW Government's environmental agency's Sustainability Programs Division will work to encourage closer collaboration with non–government organisations and the community and business sectors to adopt sustainable practices.

Participants

 

Need more? Find out about other projects and initiatives.