Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to a school in my electorate, Croydon Hills Primary School, which has a fantastic record of environmental education. Recently it received an Australian government community water grant of $45,000 to install a rainwater tank at the school which will be used for a number of water-saving initiatives throughout the school, including the watering of a vegetable garden that the students tend to as well as a number of other of initiatives around the school. This is part of a longstanding program led by the principal, Graeme Caudry, at the school and it will involve a number of students right across all of the years at the school.

The changes that have taken place at Croydon Hills Primary School will see two million litres of water saved every year. I had the pleasure of going out to the school to see firsthand what they have done with their grant and to meet some of the students: Jaydn, Maria, Emily, Allegra, Georgia, Kelsey and Caitlyn. Those students play a leadership role in an environmental sense. Some of them are water watchers and meter readers. In addition to the water tank, the school is active in promoting a good environment and good environmental practices around the school, including the saving of water at taps and the reuse of water throughout the school on the gardens and in the vegetable patch. I pay tribute to Croydon Hills Primary School for all that they do for the local environment and to the students, teachers and parents involved.