Winner: Castlemaine Steiner School and Kindergarten, Muckleford
Sustainability Victoria
ResourceSmart Schools awards
Campus infrastructure and Operations School of the Year
Celebrating the school that best demonstrates their commitment to environmental sustainability.
A school designed with permaculture principles and community spirit.
Parents and students built the school’s first buildings from mud bricks and followed permaculture practices from the very beginning.
The school established its own wetland and island and now uses this area to work on the River Detectives program, planting native trees, watching birds, and weaving cumbungi to clean wastewater.
The Bushfood Island was created by collecting water from the surrounding area in a dam and the entire wetland includes 3 effluent ponds, one dam, and four large water tanks. Surface water from the school grounds feeds into the dam and storm water is used for gardening and firefighting purposes.
This school has solar panels and energy-efficient lighting that cut down bills by 25 to 30 per cent. However, their monumental water infrastructure and the fact that they attracted over 120 species of birds with their wetland-island haven is what makes this school a rare permaculture gem.
Congratulations Castlemaine Steiner School and Kindergarten!
