Schools show they’re smart about resources

FOUR Ballarat schools have been named as finalists in the 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards.

Siena Catholic Primary School, Wendouree Primary School, Pleasant Street Primary School and St James’ Parish Primary School have all made the list in different categories, with winners to be announced during a ceremony at the MCG on 5 June.

Siena Catholic Primary School has been nominated in the Emerging School of the Year category, Wendouree Primary School teacher Stephen McNeight in the Teacher of the Year (Primary) category, Pleasant Street Primary School in the category of Container Deposit Scheme Vic (CDS Vic) Excellence Award (Primary), and St James’ Parish Primary School in the Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Primary) category.

The Pleasant Street school is a finalist for the first time, while the St James’ Parish school was a finalist in last year’s awards.

The four schools are among 31 vying for an award in Victoria’s largest celebration of primary and secondary school students, teachers and volunteers working together to achieve a more sustainable future.

The awards are presented annually by Sustainability Victoria.

Siena Catholic Primary School introduced an EarthCare program last year, with teams leading initiatives such as managing green waste, paper recycling and conducting biodiversity audits.

Mr McNeight, meanwhile, has helped his school achieve 3 Star sustainability status.

He is a facilitator of its flexible learning program and organises events for National Tree Day and World Environment Day, and has also developed partnerships with local environment groups.

Pleasant Street Primary School has been listed for making significant progress in waste reduction and recycling through CDS Vic.

The Pleasant Street Bees, a student-led sustainability team, works on waste audits each term and manages the collection of recyclable items for the container scheme.

The school is also working with McCallum Disability Services to manage the collection and processing of recyclable containers.

Students at the St James’ Parish school – also a 3 Star ResourceSmart school – grow seedlings, plant vegetables gardens, harvest and cook with school produce, participate in a River Detectives program, analyse water quality data, get involved in tree planting days, and more.

The awards are being presented for the 16th year and this year have the theme of Working Together.

“We can achieve so much more when we work together, whether that’s with other students, other schools, other teachers, or the wider community beyond the school gate,” Sustainability Victoria’s regions and community action director Kate Pahlow said.

“By working together, our efforts combine to build the future we need.”

The ResourceSmart Schools program has reached more than 1600 Victorian schools since it began in 2008.

According to Sustainability Victoria, schools have planted more than 5.1 million trees, saved more than $63 million in energy, waste and water costs, have diverted 170,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill, and have avoided more than 110,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.