SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL
SUMMER 2023
Connecting Children to our Parklands & Nature
In this issue Youth Eco Summit (YES) Myrtle Rust – Gum Trees Connecting Children to Nature Keep Australia Beautiful – Sustainable Cities Awards 2023 Council’s Sustainable Community Environment Grant Council’s Waste Update – Food Waste & New Mattress Shredder Machine SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL SUMMER 2023
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MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Welcome to the SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL SUMMER EDITION.
IN THIS ISSUE Youth Eco Summit (YES)
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Gum Tree Guardians
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Connecting Children to Nature
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Keep Australia Beautiful / Sustainable Cities Award 6 Liveable Cities / Council’s Sustainable Community
7 Environment Grant
Hello and welcome to the summer edition of sustaining Liverpool.
The Croc: Mattress Shredder Machine 8
The Zero Litter in the Georges River Project won top honours at the prestigious Keep Australia Beautiful 2023 Sustainable Cities Award.
Cloth Nappy Rebate / Sustainable Environment
Food Waste: Did You Know? Grant
Liverpool City Council in collaboration with other local councils, the Georges Riverkeeper, and primary schools including Wattle Grove Public School targets the reduction in litter entering the river via stormwater. Funded by the federal government and sponsored by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, the award recognises our commitment to safeguarding the Georges River health through a catchment wide strategy. Liverpool City Council is offering you a way to save money and help the environment by using reuseable nappies. Council is conducting a trial where residents can claim a rebate of $150 for the purchase of reuseable nappies and sanitary products.
What would you like to see more of in Sustaining Liverpool? We welcome your ideas - email us erp@liverpool.nsw.gov.au
The rebate is an incentive for residents to trial reuseable options.
Mayor Ned Mannoun Liverpool City Council
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Customer Service Centre Ground Floor, 33 Moore Street, Liverpool NSW 2170 All correspondence to Locked Bag 7064 Liverpool BC NSW 1871 Call Centre 1300 36 2170 Email lcc@liverpool.nsw.gov.au Web www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au NRS 13 36 77 ABN 84 181 182 471 2
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL SUMMER 2023
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YOUTH ECO SUMMIT (YES) 2640 primary school students said YES to sustainability this September 20-21 — some even travelling in from as far as Cairns to attend the program. Running for its 13th year, the large outdoor 2-day youth event was held by the Sydney Olympic Park Authority at Newington Armory, Sydney Olympic Park. Liverpool City Council, in partnership with Blacktown City Council, Canada Bay Council and Stream watch, ran hands-on workshops on restoration and waterways for the children to experience all in the name of sustainability.
More than 30 sustainability providers, including Murama Indigenous Youth, NRMA, Sydney Zoo, Bingo Industries, GWS Giants, Cleanaway, Birdlife Australia, Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre, Greater Sydney Parklands and many more, joined in to further facilitate these fun interactive displays and large-scale stage shows. The Youth Eco Summit explores the kinship in caring for the country and each other, allowing the next generation to understand the benefits of sustainable living and know what lessons they can take back to their own communities. The program promotes student leadership while encouraging sustainable practices. Students learn things from the future of transport to the importance of air quality to the importance of Indigenous culture, all to encompass how we can better look after Country and the environment.
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GUM TREE GUARDIANS
Myrtle rust is infecting our Australian native trees and we’re calling on the community to become Gum Tree Guardians to monitor the spread of the disease. Myrtle rust is a fungal disease which impacts Australian native plants in the family Myrtaceae Myrtaceae is a large family of shrubs, trees including our iconic eucalypts, paper barks, lilly pillies, tea trees and many more! Since its arrival in 2010, it has been detected in all Australian states and territories aside from South Australia. By monitoring the spread of the disease, scientists can gain valuable information about the different hosts it is infecting, and new areas is has spread to. This data enhances our understanding about the behaviour of the disease and monitor for any new strains of the pathogen entering Australia. To monitor the spread of the disease, we are calling on the public to add their myrtle rust observations to the iNatrualist platform. iNaturalist in an online community of citizen scientists, naturalists and scientists which aims to collect observations of the earth’s biodiversity. You can add new observations, or any historic images you may have. Every observation contributes to our knowledge of the disease. Be on the lookout for bright yellow spores infecting the leaves, stems, fruits, or flowers of Myrtaceous species. 4
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL SUMMER 2023
If you do see it: •
Look but don’t touch. The spores can spread easily if touched so it’s best to avoid touching the plants if you can.
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Take a close up photo of the infection and a photo of the tree.
Upload your photo to iNaturalist and, if you know it, include the name of the tree in the comments.
For more information head to the iNaturalist project website to find out how you can contribute or contact Alyssa Martino at alyssa.martino@sydney.edu.au
CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE Liverpool families over the school holidays were lucky to have Sarah from Healing with Nature amuse, engage & educate the little ones, Children haven’t forgotten about the power of nature, they merely may have not had access to it. The children on the day were so engaged in the walks & bush craft! In our long-term
careers in environmental education, we have never seen such excitement! We will look forward to giving our local families the opportunity to do this again, they felt safe as a lot of children in urban areas can be fearful of nature, the experience helped give children the confidence to explore in a safe environment.
Nature “Wands” Children crafted in the workshop
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s t s i l a n i F
2023
Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KAB NSW) was thrilled to announce the category finalists for the 2023 Sustainable Cities Awards and recognise the extraordinary contributions of all organisations and individuals who have entered this year’s awards. Running since 1994 these awards recognise and support the achievements of Councils and their communities who are actively working towards making Sydney a model for sustainable practices. The awards program and event were held with the support of Randwick City Council, the NSW EPA, Red Energy and TerraCycle.
“The commitment of the councils, organisations and individuals who entered is evident in the calibre of the entries received this year and I would like to congratulate this year’s winners and finalists and everyone that entered.” said Ms Southam.
CLEAN WATERWAYS Exciting news! The Zero Litter in Georges River Project secured top honours in the Litter Prevention / Clean Waterways category at the prestigious Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KAB NSW) 2023 Sustainable Cities Awards. Sponsored by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), this accolade recognises our commitment to safeguarding the Georges River's health through a comprehensive catchment-wide strategy. Funded by the Australian Government, this initiative, a collaboration between Georges Riverkeeper, local councils including Liverpool City Council, primary schools including Wattle Grove Public School, and communities, targets the reduction of litter entering the river via stormwater. As part of the project, critical stormwater infrastructure has been upgraded across the catchment, Gross Pollutant Traps in the Liverpool LGA have been audited for efficiency, and a best-
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practice guide for the stormwater industry has been created. Moreover, we've empowered school children, such as those at Wattle Grove Public School, to champion litter prevention through education, interactive artworks, and augmented reality experiences featuring 'Zero,' a native longneck turtle threatened by river pollution. Discover more about the Zero Litter project in Georges Riverkeeper.
LIVEABLE CITIES The Harris Creek Reserve Fairy Glen Garden (Fairy Glen Committee and Liverpool City Council) was also nominated as a finalist for the liveable cities award.
The Harris Creek Reserve Fairy Glen is a community-led initiative, established in Harris Creek Reserve, hosts habitat for special friends like Koalas. The site is located at Holsworthy during the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown. The initiative involved local families decorating fairy doors to be installed in the designated ‘Fairy Glen,’ alongside environmentally friendly trinkets and other offerings. The Fairy Glen supports families’ and children’s wellbeing, addressing the social isolation created by the Liverpool wide lockdown. The project created connection and built community cohesion, and provided opportunities for environmental education. The end result is a magical garden, which local community members can contribute to, enhancing the landscape and building a wonderful destination. Discover more about the project here
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT GRANT GOOD SAMARITAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE “Think Global Eat Local” project was initially funded in 2018 to educate students on sustainable urban agriculture. Since then, the school has grown food gardens occupying over 1000 square metres with a variety of seasonal fruit trees and vegetables. As an extension to their successful harvesting, the school received further funding from Liverpool City Council's Sustainable Environment Grant in 2023 to invest in kitchen machinery and food handling equipment to prepare fresh beverages for school events and fundraisers. The Gardening Club aims to become self-sustaining by generating a basic income stream through this project.
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Watched by representatives from nine Sydney local councils, Channel 9 cameras, the Crocodile, makes its debut.
Council has recently acquired a mattress shredding machine. This was purchased with grant monies from the EPA, as well as with Council’s own funds. The machine, which is currently based at Council’s Depot in Rose Street Liverpool, will firstly allow Council to shred all the waste mattresses that are being produced by the residents of the Liverpool LGA, to recover all usable or saleable material. This includes the steel from the mattress springs and the shredded mattress flock. Which will initially see council saving money from our waste operations, then expanding to make money from providing service to other Councils. This marks an important step in being able to process a troublesome waste item locally, with all the financial, employment and environmental benefits that will come with it. Residents who have mattresses to dispose of should contact Council to arrange collection from their homes.
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL SUMMER 2023
FOOD WASTE DID YOU KNOW?
The ideal fridge temperature is between 0-5OC. By adjusting the temperature of your fridge, you could help to keep food fresher for three days longer than usual. Cost of living has been on everybody’s lips in 2023 and will continue into 2024, stagnant wages growth for 80% of Australians over the last two or more decades along with significant rises in groceries means food affordability matters more and this links to a need to reduce the food that is wasted. But did you know, each year on average, according to research supported by the NSW EPA every NSW household throws away $41.02 per household per week. And according to Council’s own audit results, overall, 44.04% of Liverpool’s general waste bin is food waste. Planning meals, shopping smart, cooking waste free – such as reusing leftovers and scraps - and storing food correctly reduce food waste and save money. By not storing food correctly or efficiently leads to a shorter shelf life and can lead to a food being thrown away.
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WHAT'SFORON YOUR
Diary
CLOTH NAPPY REBATE
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT GRANT NOW OPEN
Save money and the environment by using reusable nappies and absorbent hygiene products. Liverpool City Council is conducting a trial where residents can claim a rebate of up to $150 for the purchase of reusable nappies and sanitary products with proof of purchase. The trial aims to provide an incentive for residents to trial reusable options – helping to save you money and reduce waste to landfill. Every household within Liverpool City Council is eligible for one rebate per category. Separate applications are required for each. •
Cloth Nappies – 50% of the purchase price (max. $150 rebate) - Includes fitted cloth and swim nappies, reusable night nappies, all in two nappies, terry towelling/prefold nappies.
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Reusable Sanitary Products – 50% of the purchase price (max. $100 rebate) - Includes sanitary pads, sanitary cups and leak-proof underwear.
Surprisingly, nappies and absorbent hygiene products are the second largest contributor to household garbage waste from Liverpool City Council. Audits have shown that by weight, these products make up 9% of the material collected through the red-lidded general waste bin. Second only to food waste which makes up 46%. Although reusable products can cost a little more upfront, in the longer term, they can save you upwards of $1,000 a year. We are offering these rebates as an incentive to take up these products by helping to reduce the upfront costs of reusable options, and encourage the shift away from single-use products. Click on Council's Cloth Nappy Rebate webpage for more information. 10
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL SUMMER 2023
Funding up to $5,000 to support schools and community groups to play an active role in reducing their impact on the environment and implementing environmentally sustainable actions. We welcome all creative ideas – big or small! Round 2
Opens 12 February 2024 Closes 5 April 2024
Visit Council's Grants portal to apply.
NSW WeedWise The NSW WeedWise app can be downloaded onto your smart phone it provides key information to help users reduce the impact of weeds in New South Wales (NSW). The app profiles over 300 weeds, describing biosecurity duties under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015, control information and registered herbicide options. Click here for more information