Welcome!

 

Column Contents
> Introduction
> Contact Us
> About the School
> Sustainability Master Plan
> Projects in Progress

 

Introduction
The Turramurra Public School (TPS) Sustainability Team welcomes you. We hope you will become part of our community of citizens who want to make a difference... who want balance maintained with our environment... who want our children to grow up replacing the fears posed from a damaged environment with the joy of being a positive, integral part of the natural world.

What better foundation for making a difference than a school where parents bring the children to be educated in safe and positive surrounding... where teachers want to educate our children to prepare them for the requirements and challenges of life.

This site contains information about the goals and objectives of the Sustainability Team and what we are doing to achieve these goals. There is a wealth of talented parents and children amongst the school community. Working together with our committed staff we can make changes to the school so that it can better cope with the climate and other environmental changes and reduce the demands TPS makes on non-renewable, polluting or scarce esources. 

 

How Can You Make a Difference? 

 There are many ways you can make a difference. Some are simple. Some require more commitment. There is are many degree of time and effort you can chose to support developing a sustainable environmental. The important thing is to take action - “Act Now or Dream On.”

Lets start with the simple actions you may want to consider.

• Bookmark this site and revisit it every couple of weeks (new material will be highlighted). Pay an interest to the TPS Sustainability Program's activities through this website. If you see an activity where you can contribute in some way - expertise, contacts, time, materials, etc - contact us (see contact details below).

• If you are able to provide ongoing input or assistance to the Sustainability Team... contact us and/or just come to one of our team's meetings.

Stay tuned for more additions to this section!

 

Contact Us

If you want to learn more about Turramurra Public School Sustainability Program or you want to help make a difference by supporting us with skills, time or funds please contact us through the one of the following options:

email: turramurra-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

 

About the School

Turramurra is located on Sydney, Australia's upper north shore 22km north of the Sydney GPO with an elevation of about 187 meters.

 

Turramurra Public School (TPS) is located approximately 1km southwest of Turramurra centre, on Kissing Point Road.

 

TPS is very fortunate in having large beautiful grounds, areas of which have retained much of their native vegetation. There is also potential to be restored a large amount of the area to near-native condition.

 

 

Turramurra Public School 
Sustainability Master Plan

The following is a summary of the Sustainability Master Plan for Turramurra Public School. To obtain a copy of the full plan, suggest additions or changes, or ask a question please email turramurra-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au .

The plan is a 'living' document and hence subject to change as concepts, analysis and solutions develop.

 

Vision

 

Turramurra Public School is a school where students, teachers and parents work together with the local community, government bodies and commercial organisations to:

• minimise its use of energy and natural resources with the goal of being totally self sustainable and even create excess energy and resources to share with the community
• protect and enhance the native environment
• minimise waste and pollution and maximize recycling
• create a school environment that enhances and broadens the teaching and learning experience

The resulting vision is not only the physical transformation of the school environment and the conservation of energy and resources. More importantly, it is an enhanced awareness by a generation of children, their parents and the community of environmental and energy issues and their solutions. In turn it is hoped that this will have a positive influence and benefit to society.

 

Mission

 

“Act Now or Dream On.”

Unknown

 

To make the TPS Sustainability Vision a reality by:

• developing an enduring Sustainability Master Plan that will remain in place as constant guide to the school and its governance bodies
• to establish a governance structure to support the management, monitoring and periodic revision of the TPS Sustainability Plan its priorities and actions
• to priorities projects identified by the plan and develop action plans

 

Scope

 

Environmental Scope Categories

There are five key areas comprising the scope of TPS Sustainability Master Plan. These are:

 

• Native Fauna and Flora Preservation and Protection  
• Teaching and Learning Environment (Learnscaping)
• Energy Management
• Water Management
• Waste Management

The school and its grounds are the focus of the Sustainability Plan however, wherever possible, the greater school community will be encouraged to adopt the plans, programs and principles developed for the school.

 

Stakeholder Scope

The Sustainability Team recognizes that there are a number of stakeholders who will be involved and/or impacted in the endeavor to make TPS a successful sustainable environment with enhanced learning opportunities. These stakeholders fall into four main groups:

• Students
• Teachers and other school staff
• Parents and the local community
• Government & private sector

 

   

Governance

 

The aim of the Sustainability Team is to support the needs of students, teachers and the community through establishing a more comfortable and stimulating teaching and learning environment while reducing the drain on resources and the strain on the environment.

 

The Department of Education represented by the principal and teachers in conjunction with the Parents and Citizen Association form the TPS Governing Body who provides approval for the actions, funding and asset management associated with the Sustainability Program. It is assumed that the existing governance models for these organisations and their joint responsibilities are already well established.

 

The P&C Sustainability Sub-committee is responsible for performing research and providing recommendations and guidelines to the TPS Governing Body for their consideration and approval.

 

Government departments and other regulatory and funding organisations including sponsorship and resourcing agreements with private enterprises will impose constraints on the Sustainability Program. The sub-committee in conjunction with the TPS Governing Body need to ensure that all regulatory demands and agreements are followed and any required reporting is performed.

 

 General Principles

In general TPS Sustainability Team is recommending the following pronciples:

 

• The preservation and propagation of flora native to the local habitat
• The creation of an environment within and around the school that is encourages native fauna
• Reducing and discouraging pests and non-native flora and fauna.
• Reducing the amount of energy used
• Reducing the amount of water and other resources
• Minimising packaging and the consumption of paper
• Maximise recycling
• Contributing excess energy and resources back into the community
• Maintaining or enhancing the health or safety of the students and staff
• and does not cause significant maintenance or damage to school structures and assets

Under Consideration

The following is a list of ideas that the TPS Sustainability team will or have investigated to determine the feasibility of their application or implementation at Turramurra Public School.

 

If an idea has been investigated and rejected the reason for the rejection will be documented to allow for future re-evaluation should circumstances or conditions change.

 

If it is decided to pursue an idea to implementation, an Action Plan for that item will be developed as a separate document. This Sustainability Master Plan will be updated periodically with a summary and status of the actions taken.

 

Native Environment Management

• Native plant management
• Native fauna habitat development
• Pest and weed control

Energy Management

• Convert to a Green Energy option
• Energy efficient lighting
• Insulation
• Shade management
• Solar power & hot water
• Wind power

Water Management

• Waterless urinals
• Reduce toilet flush through the displacement of cistern water
• Waste water recycling
• Reduce water outlets
• Check water system for leaks
• Water tanks
• Shadow management
• Sub-surface irrigation
• Reduce high evaporation areas
• Water efficient plants

Waste Management

• Reduce canteen packaging
• Reduce paper use – e.g. internet, email, and sms of newsletters, notices and reminders
• Composting
• Rubbish separation to enable recycling

Learnscape

• Gardening
  • Vegetable garden
  • Flower garden
  • Plant nursery
• Animal care – animal enclosure or aviary
• Amphitheatre
  • outdoor classroom
  • outdoor theatre
• History – school museum   
  • local aboriginal tribes
  • early European settlement
• Art
  • Garden sculptures
  • Landscape art

There are also potential opportunities for financial gains to be made from some of above mentioned areas.

 

Projects in Progress  

Rainwater Tank Supply of Toilets

We have successfully installed rainwater tanks that are used to flush toilets.

.

Project Summary to be added -

please come back soon or email turramurra-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Communications/Awareness Program