Roebuck Primary School leads sustainability with award-winning project

Roebuck Primary School’s Environment Student Action Team will lead an inspiring school and community sustainability initiative in early 2025, powered by a $5,000 prize won from the 2024 Coles & Planet Ark Sustainable Schools Competition.

The team plans to use the funds to create a culturally-significant food garden featuring local bush tucker plants. This initiative aims to deepen the school’s connection to its Yawuru Indigenous heritage, while promoting sustainable practices such as composting.

Alex Guthrie, a teacher at Roebuck Primary, has been instrumental in guiding the project. She explained that the garden would serve as both an educational resource and a living example of how traditional knowledge and modern environmental stewardship can come together. 

“As part of the cultural food garden, we plan to incorporate a composting system to further reduce our school's organic waste,” she said.  

“By turning food scraps and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost, we aim to minimise waste production and enhance the garden's sustainability.    

“The purpose of the team is to help develop student leadership skills, promote student voice and give students the opportunity to participate in authentic events that give students agency over supporting their school, peers and community.”  

Bambi Foot, a student at Roebuck Primary School, expressed enthusiasm for the project and its cultural significance. 

“Growing bush tucker is important because it embodies Aboriginal culture and represents the foods traditionally eaten before British colonisation,” Bambi shared. 

Fellow team member Oliver Williams echoed Bambi’s excitement of winning the award, explaining how the team planned to use the money on a cool project.  

“Growing bushtucker reflects the environment and culture around Broome,” Oliver said. 

The Environment Student Action Team’s achievements extend beyond this competition win. In 2024, they were also finalists in the Young Legends category of the Tidy Towns Awards. 

Their other initiatives included collaborating with Parks and Wildlife to survey Cable Beach for turtle monitoring and partnering with the Australian Marine Debris Initiative to clean Gantheaume Beach, collecting multiple bags of litter in just an hour. 

This remarkable team of students is not only nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders but also celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Broome, ensuring a sustainable future for the community. 

If your school is planning sustainability projects for 2025, consider participating in the Coles & Planet Ark Sustainable Schools Competition.  

Learn more from the Coles & Planet Ark Sustainable Schools Competition website¹.