This morning I was invited to speak to Grade Five and Six Students at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a Primary School located in Wilana Street, Ringwood.

The class is currently learning about the three tiers of Government and environmental sustainability. As a Local Councillor for the Mullum Ward, I was invited to provide an overview of being a Councillor, as well as discussing how local communities can act to improve the environment.

When I was a student at Primary School, the concept of recycling was just being introduced into the school curriculum. Today, almost twenty years later the environment is still a prominent topic for students, with a strong focus on taking action to reduce greenhouse emissions.

I also discussed the steps Maroondah Council has taken to reduce its greenhouse emissions, including the Water Sustainability Fund and the benefits this has provided for our sporting clubs.

The calibre of questions and the strong interest from the students was exceptional, with many of the questions focusing on the interaction between Australia’s levels of government and environmental sustainability, as well as some specific questions around planning decisions.

Speaking to students is one of the most fulfilling tasks of being a local Councillor and it is great to see that these students have such a genuine and keen interest in the environment.

The school is planning ongoing activities to provide students with the ability to minimise their own impact on the environment and I discussed some of the community groups within Maroondah, which could liaise with the students to organise environmental based activities.