Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my great pleasure to rise today to congratulate the students and teachers at Harrington Park Public School becoming the first registered eco-school in Australia. The Eco-Schools program is run by keep Australia beautiful and a pilot program was launched at Harrington Park in my electorate last month. Eco-Schools is an environmental management certification program designed to encourage children and youth to take an active role in how their school can be run for the benefit of the environment. The program combines learning and action to help improve environments of schools. It also raises awareness and helps change the behaviour of young people, school staff, families and communities.

The Eco-Schools program is recognised by the United Nations Environment Program as a preferred global model for environmental education, management, sustainability and certification at an international level. It is a program of the Foundation for Environmental Education, which operates in 55 countries around the world, involving more than 14 million students. Australia is the 55th country to launch the Eco-Schools program, which aims to empower students to bring change by engaging them in fun, action-oriented learning.

I was honoured to attend the launch at Harrington Park and meet the special guests from Eco-Schools South Africa, Malcolm Powell. Malcolm is from the Wildlife Environment Society of South Africa, which operates in eco-schools there. He has been on the international board for the past 10 years and has visited numerous eco-schools all over the world, including around Africa, North America, Asia and Europe. Principal Andrew Best from Harrington Park Public School was very proud that it was the first officially registered school for the program and thanked Keep Australia Beautiful for providing access to Eco-Schools in Australia.

The Keep Australia Beautiful National Association is Australia's leading grassroots environmental organisation, with more than 45 years of experience in changing behaviours and attitudes concerning litter and recycling. It does this through community engagement, partnerships, education and ensuring that the community also takes its share of responsibility for improvement. It is Australia's largest face-to-face schools environmental education service provider, teaching more than 70,000 students each year. Macarthur resident Peter McLean is the hardworking CEO of the association, which has been delivering environmental education to schools for more than two decades.

According to Principal Best, the new Australian curriculum has sustainability as one of its three cross-curriculum priorities. Eco-Schools membership will assist schools in delivering a 21st century curriculum and provide students with an authentic learning experience. I think it is fantastic to see Harrington Park Public School taking part in such a fantastic initiative. It will allow the students and teachers to develop and implement environmental management projects that will not only benefit the school but the wider community as well. I am proud to see this program launched in my electorate and encourage other schools around Macarthur interested in this initiative to contact Keep Australia Beautiful for more information. I would like to wish all of the students at Harrington Park Public School all the best as they continue towards their goal to achieve the highest level of Eco-Schools, the award of the Green Flag. I am told the school's HEAT group and the school parliament have this award firmly in their sights. I am sure it is something they will achieve.