CSU Sustainability Grant
The CSU Sustainability Grant program is open for 2013.
After a review of the program from previous years, the program has been expanded for 2013. There are now three funding options for projects from a total funding pool of $150,000. There are two funding streams:
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Stream One (small projects) - Funding pool of $60,000 with a maximum of $15,000 per project;
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Stream One (large project) - A one-off grant of $50,000;
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Stream Two (research support) - Funding pool of $40,000 with a maximum of $10,000 per project.
Please consult the Application Information carefully.
Grant applications will be due on Friday 28 June 2013 at 5 pm.
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2013 Application Information [.pdf]
Previous Years Successful Applications:
2011 Final Report Template [.doc]
2012 Final Report Template [.doc]
Successful Applications for 2012
In 2012 eleven applications were selected out of 29 Sustainability Grant submissions. Details of these projects are provided below.
| Project Title | Team |
|---|---|
| Cultural Change through Carbon Offsets |
School of Humanities and Social Science (Wagga) |
| RES-CYCLE |
Residence Life (Albury-Wodonga) |
| Human Power Bicycle Initiative |
Division of Library Services (Bathurst) |
| Introduction to Sustainability Training for CSU Staff | CSU Training (Bathurst/Wagga) |
| Transport Behaviours and Decisions of Staff and Students | School of Environmental Sciences (Albury-Wodonga) |
| Woody Weed Removal along the Winery Road |
Division Facilities Management (Wagga) |
| Indigenous Food Garden, SoE |
School of Education (Wagga) |
|
Wagga Equine BGGW Corridors |
CSU Equine Centre (Wagga) |
| Reconciliation and Cultural Diversity Garden | Residence Life (Dubbo) |
|
Kerr Sustainability Centre |
Kerr Sustainability Centre student submission (Albury-Wodonga) |
|
Bright Beginnings in Regional NSW |
Murray Children's Centre (Albury-Wodonga) |
Project Descriptions
Cultural Change Through Carbon Offsets
Team:
- Bill Anscombe (School of Humanities and Social Science, Wagga)
- Karen Bell (School of Humanities and Social Science, Wagga)
- Heather Barton (School of Humanities and Social Science, Wagga)
- Heather Boetto (School of Humanities and Social Science, Wagga)
- Linda Rust (CSU Global, Albury-Wodonga)
- Paul McLeod (CSU Global, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $6,721.16
Project summary: This project aims to pro-socially model environmentally responsible global citizenship through carbon offsetting the international travel of a CSU Social Work facilitated, two week study abroad program.
The project will promote sustainability in higher education, as per the Tailloires Declaration to which CSU is a signatory. The two-week study abroad program aims to offset the carbon footprint by tree-planting. Specifically the project will increase the environmental awareness of staff and students, and a commitment to environmentally responsible citizenship at the local and global levels.
RES-CYCLE
Team:
- Kurt Neville (Residence Life, Albury-Wodonga)
- Peter Jones (Division of Facilities Management, Albury-Wodonga)
- Bruce Clark (Charles Sturt Campus Services, Albury-Wodonga)
- Shane Reeves (Charles Sturt Campus Services, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount awarded: $12,000
Project summary: This project is a pilot to develop a strategy to increase good waste management practices within the residences at the Albury-Wodonga campus. The strategy will include education and appropriate facilities to maximise recycling and minimise contamination, thereby minimising CSU's carbon footprint.
The overall aim of the project is to achieve behavioural change amongst residential students by implementing good education, good waste management facilities and useful visual guides. Thereby, reducing the volume of waste to landfill and the level of contamination in recycling.
Human Powered Bicycle Initiative (HPBI)
Team:
- Jennifer Morrice (Division of Library Services, Bathurst)
- Sharon Sandry and Kerryn Murray (Division of Library Services, Bathurst)
- Cheryl Boulton (Division of Library Services, Albury-Wodonga)
- Kate Hadley and Lisa Faulkner (Division of Library Services, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $2,500
Project summary: This project aims to achieve a cultural change amongst staff and students on the Bathurst campus through the interactive use of a stationary bicycle in the library to power personal electronic items. The HPBI also promotes a healthy workplace and campus for staff and students.
The HBPI will provide an alternative reliable, clean, green source of energy to power personal electronic items such as iPods, mobile phones and laptops, in the 24 hour zone of the Bathurst Library. These items can be charged while increasing fitness, reducing costs and lowering carbon footprints. It is a fun way to bring energy efficiency education to CSU.
Introduction to Sustainability Training for CSU Staff
Team:
- Judy Doulman (CSU Training, Bathurst)
- Jenny King (CSU Training, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $15,000
Project summary: This project will develop and deliver an accredited introductory sustainability program to staff, which covers the requirements of the Unit of Competency BSBSUS301A - implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices, from the Business Services Training Package.
The program will include a two hour introductory workshop to establish the framework of sustainable practices both individually and in the workplace. Participants will be required to undertake pre-workshop activities and will be required to undertake a work-based sustainability project to demonstrate the application of their learning.
Transportation Decisions and Behaviours of Students and Staff at the Albury-Wodonga Campus
Team:
- Shelby Gull Laird (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Rosemary Black (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Peter Jones (Division of Facilities Management, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount awarded: $1,900
Project summary: This project aims to determine the motivations behind the current transport choices and behaviours of CSU staff and students who attend the Albury-Wodonga campus.
Through an understanding of current transport behaviours, the outcomes of the project will provide a better understanding of the needs for sustainable transport options for staff and students in regional areas. It is in regional areas where there is usually limited access to public transport and often, longer commuting distances. This project will ultimately reduce carbon dioxide emissions and lead to more sustainable transport choices through education and engagement of staff and students in their commuting and inter campus travel.
Woody Weed Removal from the Winery Road
Team:
- Simon Cole (Division of Facilities Management, Wagga)
- Nicola Smith (Division of Facilities Management, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $14,850
Project summary: This project aims to improve the native biodiversity of the flora along the CSU owned Winery Road, Wagga. Woody weeds will be removed from either side of the Winery Road including: Lucerne; Cootamundra Wattle, Almond, Olive, Box Thorn and Horehound trees and shrubs. The Peppercorn trees that have been planted along the Winery Road will be crown lifted.
This project will increase the biodiversity of native flora and fauna, and increase the corridor length when included with the land cleared of woody weeds by Wagga Wagga City Council at the Coolamon Road - Winery Road junction. The project will also be part of a wider campus enhancement of biodiversity through woody weed removal on the two hills of the Wagga campus.
Indigenous Food Garden Around the School of Education Wagga
Team:
- Jacquie Tinkler (School of Education, Wagga)
- Deb Evans (School of Education, Wagga)
- Rhys Long (Postgraduate Student, School of Education, Wagga)
- Rosalind Brennan-Kemmis (RIPPLE, Wagga)
- Wendy Deluca, Rhonda Horne, Annette Green (School of Education, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $15,000
Project summary: This project will involve the School of Education at the Wagga campus in planting an indigenous food garden around the SoE building under the guidance of local Indigenous groups. The use of the garden will be implemented in the curriculum, engaging staff, students and the community.
The garden now around the SoE building is full of native and exotic flora species, with many areas of the garden sparsely vegetated. Native plants will be used on one side of the building to attract native birds to the garden. The remaining area around the building will be vegetated with indigenous food plants, increasing cultural education, biodiversity and the overall aesthetics of the garden. Signs promoting the cultural importance of the indigenous food garden will be used to engage and promote sustainability to the CSU and wider community.
Box Gum Grassy Woodland Corridors and Fauna Friendly Fencing, Equine Centre Wagga
Team:
- Murray Reid (School of Equine and Veterinary Sciences, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $3,300
Project summary: This project will develop the native Box Gum Grassy Woodland (BGGW) vegetation community corridors in paddocks 11 and 13, enhancing the biodiversity of the Equine Centre at the Wagga campus. The proposed corridors will improve the connectivity between existing BGGW corridors.
The barbed-wire fencing will be replaced with high tensile plain wire around these paddocks, and the anticipated shade generated by the BGGW treeline, will improve animal welfare standards for the teaching animals (horses) and local native fauna.
Reconciliation and Cultural Diversity Garden, Dubbo
Team:
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Kevin Faulkner (Dubbo Campus Environmental Committee Chair)
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Ben Moore (Division of Facilities Management, Dubbo)
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Kay Owens (School of Teacher Education, Dubbo)
Amount Awarded: $15,000
Project summary: This project will develop a garden that engages the local multicultural and Indigenous groups within the Dubbo community with CSU. It will provide an outdoor teaching space on campus that can be used for sustainability, indigenous and cultural diversity learning and teaching.
The project will connect the new sport and recreation facilities to the main campus buildings and assist CSU in reaching one of the sustainability targets by attributing 20% of CSU land to an increase in biodiversity by 2015 and to cooperate with communities towards sustainability.
Kerr Sustainability Centre
Team:
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Charlie Rothnie-Jones (Liaison Officer Kerr Sustainability Centre, Albury-Wodonga)
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Jack Fry (Supervisor Kerr Sustainability Centre, Albury-Wodonga)
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Romany Vonarx (Treasurer Kerr Sustainability Centre, Albury-Wodonga)
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Nathaniel Oliver and Heather Chapman (Student Gardeners Kerr Sustainability Centre, Albury-Wodonga)
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John Rafferty (School of Education, Albury-Wodonga)
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Mark Trebley (Albury Gardens Coordinator)
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Project summary: The Kerr Sustainability Centre is an organic vegetable garden, which began in April 2011. It is lead by local community member Mark Trebley with the involvement of a large group of CSU students. The unused land was converted to a series of veggie gardens that engage the CSU and wider community by promoting sustainability through local organic produce.
The long term use of the centre is for it to become a community hub of sustainability ideas through education, workshops, events and local organic food principles. The funding provided by the CSU Sustainability Grant program will assist in purchasing tools for the garden, to further promote its initiatives and increase community involvement.
Bright Beginnings in Regional NSW
Team:
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Sydnye Allen (Director Murray Children's Centre, Albury-Wodonga)
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Michelle Smith (Assistant Director Murray Children's Centre, Albury-Wodonga)
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Laura Piazza (School of Education, Albury-Wodonga)
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Shelby Gull Laird (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount Awarded: $14,200
Project summary: This project aims to develop the knowledge of the children attending the Murray Children's Centre of environmental sustainability through learning about bush tucker and bush walking. It is a community based project that aims to educate young children attending the Centre, their families and the citizens in the CSU and greater Thurgoona community about environmental knowledge, history of living off the land in regional NSW along the Murray River, and respect and responsibility for the health of the environment.
Bush tucker planting beds will be created for infant, toddler, and preschool learning spaces, which will also assist in creating culturally meaningful outdoor climbing and imaginative play equipment made from locally sourced reclaimed and recycled natural materials. The play structures will reflect naturally occurring environmental elements in this region of NSW and to make connections which expand children's working knowledge of our environmental footprint.