School Name: ________________ Date Updated: _________________
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
To increase the biodiversity
Biodiversity
Target
habitat quality score to >75
within the school ground
or in an area close to the school
To keep electricity
use below
Primary- 250 kWh
Secondary- 400 kWh
per student per year
Energy
Target
To keep gas use below
Primary- 0.9GJ
Secondary- 1.4 GJ
per student per year
To keep greenhouse gas emissions below
Primary- 0.4 tonnes C02
Secondary- 0.6 tonnes C02
per student per year
Waste
Target
To keep landfill waste output below
Water
Target
To keep mains water use below
0.3 m3
per student per year
4 KL
per student per year
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 2
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Biodiversity Module
A: Workplace/ Daily Operations
A1 Systems Design and Management
Y/N
Action
We need to complete all of these actions.
Details
Have you completed biodiversity assessments for
your school's grounds using accepted media and
data collection methods (e.g. Landlearn's Audit
'Tool Biodiversity up Close'), including the
identification and recording of:
>> Indigenous/native plants and animal habitat
quality (trees,understorey, ground cover weeds and
soil management)?
>> Linkages of school vegetation and habitats with
surrounding areas?
Has your school completed baseline data (your
biodiversity audit outcomes) and entered it on
School Environment Tracking System (SETS)? This is
a crucial step in becoming a ResourceSmart School
as part of 5Star.
A2 Development and Planning
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Do you have a whole-school biodiversity
improvement development plan in place covering
any or all of:
>> Planting schedules?
>> Protection of mature and local species?
>> Weed and pest control?
>> Arbour management?
Is there professional development for staff on
biodiversity and associated themes?
Has your school applied for biodiversity related
grants and/or entered into any environmental
awards or competitions (e.g. ResourceSmart School
Awards, Junior Landcare)?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
A3 Biodiversity - Management Maintenance and Monitoring
Y/N
Action
Page 3
We need to complete at least 5 of these actions.
Details
Is mulching, weed control and litter management
regularly undertaken in school grounds and gardens?
Is garden waste composted or mulched or chipped?
Are environmentally sensitive soil management and
stormwater management processes for school
grounds in place?
Are all flora and fauna at your school regularly
inspected to monitor for health and subsequent
actions determined to promote biodiversity?
Does your school have biodiversity monitoring
systems in place and is baseline data (index) updated
annually on SETS? This is a crucial step in becoming a
ResourceSmart School as part of 5Star.
Is mulching, weed control and litter management
regularly undertaken in school grounds and gardens?
Is garden waste composted or mulched or chipped?
Are environmentally sensitive soil management and
stormwater management processes for school
grounds in place?
Are all flora and fauna at your school regularly
inspected to monitor for health and subsequent
actions determined to promote biodiversity?
Does your school have biodiversity monitoring
systems in place and is baseline data (index) updated
annually on SETS? This is a crucial step in becoming a
ResourceSmart School as part of 5Star.
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
A4 Biodiversity - Enhancement & Protection
Y/N
Action
Page 4
We need to complete at least 6 of these actions.
Details
Is the biodiversity index or rating of your school's
grounds or bushland areas increasing following
regular auditing (where feasible)?
Are your school's conservation areas and remnant
vegetation maintained and protected (where
applicable)?
Are habitat development areas established or
underway along with aesthetic works to enhance the
school yard (e.g. frog bog, sensory gardens, wildlife
corridors, wildscapes, nest boxes, butterfly gardens)?
Are planting regimes in line with your school plan
and local considerations (e.g. local provenance
planting, drought tolerance)?
Has your school developed a raingarden?
Does your school have appropriate fencing and
guarding (especially of sensitive areas or trees)?
Are there nature trails and interpretative signage
evident at your school?
Does you school have vegetable and/or food gardens
and or animal husbandry activities established?
A5 Biodiversity - Litter
Y/N
We need to complete all of these actions.
Action
Details
Are school yards and other areas litter free with
signed rubbish bins with/out lids (as appropriate) or
no bins?
Are meals eaten in designated eating areas or
classrooms or is there a process to minimise litter in
the school yard (e.g. no wrapped food outside)?
Does your school have a system in place to collect
litter in the school yard (not used as a punishment
activity)?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 5
B: Learning and Teaching
B1 Landcare Habitat Ecology and Sustainable Land Management
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 7 of these actions.
Details
Do you have an action plan that clearly targets classroom
activities across the school to address biodiversity, local
land care and/or natural resource management, habitat
and ecology issues?
Do you have clearly targeted classroom activities in
biodiversity, land management issues and/or sustainable
food production that match the students' stages of
learning and personal development?
Are your classroom activities in biodiversity, land
management issues and/or sustainable food production
clearly linked to outcomes in the Victorian Essential
Learning Standards or AUSVELS?
Are your classroom programs linked to practical, 'handson' activities that encourage:
>> The use of school grounds as an authentic learning
space for nature-based, informal and outdoor learning
about biodiversity and land management (e.g. vegetable
and food gardens, husbandry activities)?
>> Improvement in biodiversity within the school grounds
and/or local areas?
>> Excursions to provide students with first-hand
experience of land management, coast/environmental
management, conservation sites and/or earth education
centres, botanical gardens, conservation, wildlife and
community centres, zoos and endangered species?
>> Links to home-based projects and behaviour change in
biodiversity, landcare, habitat, ecology and/or sustainable
land management?
Does your school program provide students with the
opportunity to take responsibility for classroom activities
and programs in land management, land care, animal and
habitat care issues and school ground planning?
Are interactive ICT resources used by students to gain
information on and increase understanding of
biodiversity, land care issues and/or sustainable farming?
Does your school engage indigenous learning perspectives
in curriculum development and relate this to biodiversity?
Do you have visitors to school to provide students and
teachers with knowledge and motivation around
biodiversity, land care and/or sustainable land
management?
Are you using SETS as a curriculum activity to monitor
progress in biodiversity in the school grounds and/or local
areas? This is a crucial step in becoming a ResourceSmart
School as part of 5Star.
C: Whole School Community Engagement
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
C1 Policy and Reporting
Y/N
Page 6
We need to complete at least 6 of these actions.
Action
Details
Have your biodiversity policies, targets and
biodiversity improvement development plan been
approved by school council and/or planning
committee?
Is the whole school provided with regular
communications about biodiversity, land care,
habitat, ecology and sustainable land management
activities and programs?
Do you seek regular feedback from the whole school
and community on the biodiversity, land care,
habitat, ecology and sustainable land management
activities and programs?
Have you completed and uploaded at least one
learning story in biodiversity issues onto school,
departmental or sustainability websites?
Is biodiversity included as a priority or focus area or
emphasis in the school goals (e.g. in the school plan,
policy, administration and/or curriculum planning
documents)?
Do you run school events that incorporate support,
improvement and maintenance of biodiversity?
C2 Student and Parent Leadership
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Are students involved in planning and managing the
biodiversity and school grounds program (e.g.
Student Action Teams)?
Do you institute school environment leadership
through students in the school?
Do you have an active School Environment Club or
Student Action Team?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in the planning and management
of the biodiversity plan?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in implementing actions of the
biodiversity plan?
C: Whole School Community Engagement
C3 Community and Communications Links
We need to complete at least 4 of these actions.
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Y/N
Action
Page 7
Details
Does your school liaise and/or work with local
government or regional authorities and groups to
develop school-based and joint projects?
Have staff and/or students attended local
environmental network meetings?
Have staff and students participated in local
biodiversity and/or conservation projects or activities
to support and maintain local land care, habitat,
ecology and sustainable land management activities
and programs?
Does your school community or groups of students
support wildlife protection and conservation projects
by raising funds (e.g. sponsoring an endangered
animal, contributing to the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), propagating and/or donating treesto
property owners)?
Are questions about the attitudes and changes in
biodiversity awareness and active behaviour at home
included in annual parent surveys and wider school
community surveys?
Do you include ideas and activities in school
newsletters to families for being more biodiversity
aware and active at home?
Do staff and/or students mentor other schools?
Do students and staff communicate about
biodiversity-related issues with other schools across
the state, nation and globe?
Do staff and/or students give presentations to other
schools on your school and community's biodiversity
and land care, habitat, ecology and sustainable land
management activities and programs?
Does your school liaise with political representatives
from local, state and federal governments, local
business and local 'friends of' groups for support of
projects?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 8
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Energy Module
A: Workplace/ Daily Operations
A1 Systems Design and Management
Y/N
Action
We need to complete all of these actions.
Details
Have you done an audit to assess energy usage
around your school?
Have you collected data on past energy usage for at
least two years?
Has this data been added as your baseline onto the
School Environment Tracking System (SETS) - and
any data anomalies explained? This is a crucial step
in becoming a ResourceSmart School as part of
5Star.
A2 Development and Planning
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 3 of these actions.
Details
Do you have a whole-school energy reduction or
conservation plan in place?
Is there professional development for staff on
energy, air quality, passive solar design and/or
renewable energy technologies or associated
themes?
Has your school applied for energy-related grants
and/or entered into any environmental awards or
competitions (e.g. ResourceSmart Schools Awards,
previous National Solar Schools Program or
Victorian Solar in Schools or Home Energy
competition)?
Has your school put a plan in place to purchase
green electricity?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 9
A3 Energy Efficiency - Management Maintenance and Monitoring
We need to complete at least 7 of these actions.
Y/N
Action
Details
Do you have interpretive signage about energy
conservation practices in staffrooms, toilets,
bathrooms, canteen, art rooms and general
classrooms?
Have you implemented a maintenance regime (e.g.
for cleaning light fittings, reflectors, heaters and air
conditioners)?
Do you have energy monitoring systems and
equipment (e.g. data loggers) in place and collecting
data? Has this data been added to SETS?
Does green purchasing take place regularly and is
there a plan to phase in green energy supply over the
next two years?
Has your school implemented the following:
Switch off regimes?
Has your school implemented the following:
Heating/cooling regimes?
Has your school implemented the following:
Computer monitor sleep time regimes?
Has your school implemented the following:
Standby and shutdown regimes?
Has your school implemented the following:
Natural air flow (cross ventilation) systems or
regimes?
Has your school implemented the following:
Appliances used on timer systems where
appropriate?
A4 Renewables and Energy Efficiency - Sustainable Building Design
We need to complete at least 1 of these actions.
Y/N
Action
Details
Does your school use green or passive heating and
cooling systems? eg. windows, blinds, tree shade
Does your school use solar hybrid, interactive or
standalone systems for lighting?
Does your school use solar collection systems,
including glasshouses, for heating or solar hot water?
Does your school use solar-powered water pumps or
air movement systems?
Does your school use PV panels, a wind generator or
a biomass energy generator?
Does your school have a plan to become carbon
neutral and use passive solar design principles?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
A5 Energy Efficiency – Retrofitting and Technology
Y/N
Page 10
We need to complete at least 6 of these actions.
Action
Details
Has your school implemented de-lamping and relamping programs?
Has your school replaced or added light fitting
reflector panels and/or painted surfaces for light
refraction or reflection?
Has your school installed the following: Movementsensored lighting?
Has your school installed the following: Timer
switches or switched lighting?
Has your school installed the following: Smart
meters?
Has your school installed the following: Skylights,
natural lighting, energy efficient windows and/or
coverings?
Has your school installed the following: 4, 5 or 6 star
energy efficiency rated appliances where appropriate
(e.g. dish washers, fridges etc)?
Has your school installed the following: Weather
stripping, draft proofing and/or double glazing,
where appropriate?
Has your school got security lighting timing set to
operate effectively (e.g. only during hours of
darkness)?
Does your school use ceiling fans correctly (e.g.
reversible)?
Has your school installed and/or improved insulation
(e.g. wall, ceiling and/or floor)?
A6 Other Carbon Reduction Measures
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Does your school have protection of existing trees in
the school masterplan?
Has your school planted or been involved in
maintaining indigenous and/or native trees as a
carbon sink (on school property or in your local
area)?
Has your school purchased carbon offsets from
accredited providers for travel-based school carbon
emissions (e.g. air and car travel offsets)?
B1 Energy Global Warming and Climate Change
We need to complete at least 6 of these actions.
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Y/N
Page 11
Action
Details
Do you have an action plan that clearly targets
classroom activities across the school to address
energy use, renewable energy, global warming or
climate change?
Do you have clearly targeted classroom activities in
energy issues that match the students' stages of
learning and personal development?
Are your classroom activities in energy, air quality
and greenhouse issues clearly linked to outcomes in
the Victorian Essential Learning Standards or
AUSVELS?
Are your classroom programs linked to practical,
'hands-on' activities that encourage:
>> The use of the school premises and infrastructure
as an authentic learning space?
>> Excursions to provide students with first-hand
experience of energy conservation, renewable
technologies and energy education centres?
>>Links to home-based projects and behaviour
change in energy and air quality or Greenhouse
reduction (e.g. monitoring home and personal usage,
using the Save Energy, EPA Ecological Footprint and
the Australian Greenhouse calculators)?
Does your school program provide students with the
opportunity to take responsibility for classroom
activities and programs in energy, air quality and
greenhouse issues?
Are interactive ICT resources used by students to
gain information on, and increase understanding of,
energy conservation, greenhouse cycle, energy issues
and air quality or renewable energy sources?
Does your school engage indigenous learning
perspectives in curriculum development and relate
this to energy?
Do you have visitors to school to provide students
and teachers with knowledge and motivation around
energy conservation?
Are you using SETS as a curriculum activity to
monitor progress in energy reduction in the school?
C: Whole School Community Engagement
C1 Policy and Reporting
We need to complete all of these actions.
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Y/N
Action
Page 12
Details
Have your energy policies, targets and action plan
been approved by your school council and/or
planning committee eg. sustainability policy?
Is the whole school provided with regular
communications about energy, air quality, ecological
footprint and greenhouse activities and programs?
Do you seek regular feedback from the whole school
and community on the energy, air quality, ecological
footprint and greenhouse activities and programs?
Have you completed and uploaded at least one
learning story in energy, air quality, ecological
footprint, or greenhouse issues onto school,
departmental or sustainability websites?
Is energy efficiency included as a priority or focus
area or emphasis in your school goals (e.g. in your
school plan, policy, administration and/or curriculum
charts)?
Do your school events keep energy use to a
minimum?
C2 Student and Parent Leadership
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Are students involved in planning and managing the
energy and air quality programs?
Do you institute school environment leadership
through students in the school?
Do you have an active School Environment Club or
Student Action Team?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in the planning and management
of the energy plan?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in implementing actions of the
energy plan?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 13
C: Whole School Community Engagement
C3 Community and Communications Links
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 4 of these actions.
Details
Does your school liaise and/or work with local
government or regional energy authorities and
community groups to develop school-based and joint
projects?
Have staff and students participated in local
environment network meetings?
Do staff and/or students participate in local activities
to reduce personal car-based transport (e.g. Walking,
School Bus, Ride2School, car pooling or bike riding
encouragement programs)?
Are questions about the attitudes and changes in
energy efficiency behaviour at home included in
annual parent surveys and wider school community
surveys?
Do you include ideas and activities in school
newsletters to families about being more energy
smart at home?
Do staff and/or students mentor other schools?
Do students and staff communicate about energyrelated issues with other schools across the state,
nation and globe?
Do staff and/or students give presentations on their
school energy and air quality programs to other
schools?
Does your school liaise with political representatives
from local, state and federal governments, local
business and local 'friends of' groups for support of
projects?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 14
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Waste Target
A: Workplace/ Daily Operations
A1 Systems Design and Management
Y/N
Action
We need to complete all of these actions.
Details
Have you undertaken waste audits at your school?
Have you undertaken litter assessments at your
school?
Has this data been added as your baseline onto the
School Environment Tracking System (SETS) - and
any data anomalies explained? This is a crucial step
in becoming a ResourceSmart School as part of
5Star.
A2 Development and Planning
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 3 of these actions.
Details
Do you have a whole-school waste and litter
reduction plan in place?
Is there professional development for staff on
waste, litter and associated themes?
Has your school applied for waste reduction related
grants and/or entered into any environmental
awards or competitions (e.g. ResourceSmart
Schools Awards or Nude Food Day)?
Does your school have a green purchasing policy in
place?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 15
A3 Waste Reduction- Management Maintenance and Monitoring
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 5 of these actions.
Details
Do you have interpretive signage such as what to
place in bins, two-sided printing reminders and paper
reuse reminders?
Have you implemented a maintenance regime (e.g.
for emptying compost buckets or bins, turning
compost and checking worm farms)?
Do you have waste monitoring systems in place and
waste data on SETS? This is a crucial step in
becoming a ResourceSmart School as part of 5Star.
Is green purchasing taking place regularly at your
school?
Has your school made progress in replacing paper
copies with digital or electronic versions (e.g.
newsletter, files, assignments, reports)?
Do school events target zero waste?
A4 Recycling- General
Y/N
We need to complete all of these actions.
Action
Details
Have paper recycling containers been placed in
classrooms, staffroom and administration areas (e.g.
for misprinted documents)?
Have cardboard and newspaper recycling containers
been placed in staffroom, canteen and
administration areas?
Have recycling containers been placed in the canteen
(subject to OH&S and if your school has a canteen)?
Have comingled and recycling containers for
recyclable materials been placed in school yards,
staffroom, canteen and administration areas?
A5 Recycling- Other Materials
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Does your school collect the following: Materials for
social support, reuse, charity, donated goods
programs/fundraising (corks, bottle tops, clothing)?
Does your school collect the following: Ink and toner
cartridges (for refilling and/or recycling), mobile
phones, computers and peripherals (for recycling or
donation)?
Does your school collect the following: Used
furniture for resale or recycling?
Does your school collect the following: Bikes, toys
and other goods for reassignment (e.g. via a local
charity)?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
A6 Reuse
Y/N
Page 16
We need to complete all of these actions.
Action
Details
Are paper reuse containers in place in classrooms,
staffrooms and administration areas?
Does your school collect other products for reuse
such as plastic containers, photocopy paper,
newspapers, shopping bags and boxes?
Does your school reuse single-sided paper in all
printers?
Does your school reuse furniture, decorations and
other materials at the school or in the local
community?
Are bins and lockers regularly cleaned out and
contents sorted for reuse or recycling?
A7 Reduction
Y/N
We need to complete at least 5 of these actions.
Action
Details
Does your school use green purchasing to reduce
materials entering the school (e.g. recycled
photocopy paper, unbleached toilet paper, and
recyclable cups)?
Are students actively encouraged to use reusable
drink bottles and lunchboxes (e.g. are divided
lunchboxes on the school equipment list)?
Is there a paper reduction plan in place (e.g. doublesided photocopying, class sets of worksheets, family
newsletters emailed)?
Does your school organise their own rubbish-free
lunch or nude food days at least once a term?
Are waste minimisation practices in place for
classrooms (e.g. reduction in photocopying handouts
or regular photocopy-free days)?
Does your school aim to reduce newspapers,
promotional materials and cardboard etc entering
the school?
Does your school have a carry in/carry out process
for packaging waste?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
A8 Organic Waste Management
Y/N
Action
Page 17
We need to complete at least 5 of these actions.
Details
Are food scraps collected from classrooms,
staffrooms, yards and the canteen and then used in
the compost and/or worm farm or fed to chickens?
Does your school have a zero target for food scraps
going to landfill?
Does your school compost or mulch its garden
waste?
Are large objects of garden waste chipped on or offsite and used as mulch on your school gardens?
Does your school have (on-site or off-site) wellmanaged compost bins or heaps, worm farms and/or
other animal fertiliser production?
Is composted material used in soil building (e.g. in a
vegetable garden)?
Are effective micro-organisms used on organic waste
(e.g. using the Bokashi Bin method)?
Do the plantings in your school favour low leaf loss,
low water use and native and indigenous plants to
reduce leaf fall?
A9 Litter
Y/N
We need to complete at least 7 of these actions.
Action
Details
Are your school yards and other areas mostly litterfree and do they have signed rubbish bins with or
without lids (as appropriate) or no bins?
Do the students monitor or audit the yard litter?
Are meals eaten in designated eating areas or
classrooms or is there another process to minimise
litter in the yard (e.g. no wrapped food outside)?
Does your school have a system in place to collect
litter in the yard (e.g. no wrapped food outside)?
Does you school have a student reward system in
place for litter management?
Does the school canteen area have a litter reduction
system in place?
Does your school use appropriate signs for bin lids
and other waste management areas?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 18
B: Learning and Teaching
B1 Waste and Litter
Y/N
We need to complete at least 6 of these actions.
Action
Details
Do you have an action plan that clearly targets
classroom activities across the school to address
waste?
Do you have clearly targeted classroom activities in
waste and litter issues that match the students'
stages of learning and personal development?
Are your classroom activities in waste and litter
issues clearly linked to outcomes in the Victorian
Essential Learning Standards or AUSVELS?
Are your classroom activities linked to practical,
'hands-on' activities that encourage:
>> The use of school grounds as an authentic
learning space for nature-based, informal and
outdoor learning about waste and litter reduction?
>> Excursions to provide students with first-hand
experience of landfills, local waterways, natural areas
and/or to waste education centres?
>> Links to home-based projects and behaviour
change in waste and litter?
Does your school program provide students with the
opportunity to take responsibility for classroom
activities and programs in waste and litter issues?
Are interactive ICT resources used by students to
gain information on, and increase understanding of,
waste and litter?
Does your school engage indigenous learning
perspectives in curriculum development and relate
this to waste and litter?
Do you have visitors to school to provide students
and teachers with knowledge and motivation around
waste and litter?
Are you using SETS as a curriculum activity to
monitor progress in waste reduction in the school?
This is a crucial step in becoming a ResourceSmart
School as part of 5Star.
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 19
C: Whole School Community Engagement
C1 Policy and Reporting
Y/N
We need to complete all of these actions.
Action
Details
Have your waste and litter policies, targets and
action plan been approved by your school council
and/or planning committee?
Is the whole school provided with regular
communications about waste and litter activities and
programs?
Do you seek regular feedback from the whole school
and community on the waste and litter activities and
programs?
Have you completed and uploaded at least one
learning story in waste and litter issues onto school,
departmental or sustainability websites?
Is waste and litter education included as a priority or
focus area or emphasis in your school goals (e.g. in
your school plan, policy, administration and/or
curriculum charts)?
Do you run school events that target being smart
with resources or zero waste?
C2 Student and Parent Leadership
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Are students involved in planning and managing the
waste and litter program (e.g. Student Action Team)?
Do you institute school environment leadership
through students in the school?
Do you have an active School Environment Club or
Student Action Team?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in the planning and management
of the waste plan?
Are students involved in planning and managing the
waste and litter program (e.g. Student Action Team)?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
C3 Community and Communications Links
Y/N
Action
Page 20
We need to complete at least 4 of these actions.
Details
Does your school liaise and/or work with local or
regional waste or litter groups to develop schoolbased and joint projects (e.g. regional education
officer from Regional Waste Management Group or
council education officer, litter task force or NGOs)?
Have staff and/or students attended local
environmental network meetings?
Have staff and students participated in local waste
and litter activities (e.g. Clean-Up Australia Day)?
Are questions about the attitudes and changes in
waste behaviour at home included in annual parent
surveys and wider school community surveys?
Do you include ideas and activities in school
newsletters to families about being more waste
smart at home?
Do staff and/or students mentor other schools?
Do students and staff have open dialogue about
waste and litter-related issues with other schools
across the state, nation and globe?
Do staff and/or students give presentations on their
school waste and litter programs to other schools?
Does your school liaise with political representatives
from local, state and federal governments, local
business and local 'friends of' groups for support of
projects?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 21
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Water Module
A: Workplace/ Daily Operations
A1 Systems Design and Management
Y/N
Action
We need to complete all of these actions.
Details
Have you completed an audit to assess water usage
and stormwater collection around your school?
Have you collected data on past water usage for at
least two years?
Has this data been added as your baseline onto the
School Environment Tracking System (SETS) - and
any data anomalies explained? This is a crucial step
in becoming a ResourceSmart School as part of
5Star.
A2 Development and Planning
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Do you have a whole-school water reduction or
conservation plan in place?
Is there professional development for staff on
water conservation, water quality, river health,
water efficiency or associated themes?
Has your school applied for water-related grants
and/or entered into any environmental awards or
competitions (e.g. ResourceSmart Schools Awards,
Watersaver awards or Water Learn it! Live it!
Accreditations, savewater! awards)?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 22
A3 Water Efficiency- Management Maintenance and Monitoring We need to complete all of these actions.
Y/N
Action
Details
Have you installed interpretive signage about water
conservation practices in staffrooms, toilets,
bathrooms, canteen, art rooms and classrooms?
Have you implemented a maintenance regime (e.g.
for taps, toilets, showers, dishwashers, cleaning
stormwater pits, oval watering, irrigation and/or
night watering)?
Do you have water monitoring systems and
equipment in place and are you collecting data?
Has this data been added to SETS? This is a crucial
step in becoming a ResourceSmart School as part of
5Star.
A4 Water Efficiency-Sustainable Building Management
Y/N
Action
We need to complete all of these actions.
Details
Have you fixed any identified leaky taps or fittings in
buildings or in the school grounds?
Is the water pressure and heating on the hot water
system adjusted to appropriate settings?
Do you use non-water based approaches to cleaning
where possible?
A5 Water Efficiency - Retrofitting and Technology
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Have you retrofitted flow controllers to key usage
areas?
Have you installed 3 or 4 star water efficient flow
standard fittings to key usage areas in new buildings
(e.g. staffroom, food tech and bathrooms)?
Have you installed or retrofitted dual flush toilets?
Have you installed composting toilets and/or
waterless urinals?
Have you installed automatic flush urinals?
Have you installed tap timers and auto shut off taps?
Have you installed 4, 5 or 6 star water efficiency
rated appliances where appropriate (e.g. dish
washers)?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
A6 Water Efficiency-Grounds/School Yard Management
Y/N
Action
Page 23
We need to complete at least 4 of these actions.
Details
Do you use composting and mulching systems to
build soil fertility, support water retention or
absorption and reduce water loss through
evaporation in garden beds?
Do you collect stormwater for garden watering?
Have you planted appropriate local, drought tolerant
plants to suit the environment and climatic
conditions?
Where applicable, do you use subsurface, drip and
timed irrigation (to ensure watering at appropriate
times)?
Have you installed rain sensors?
Do you have rinse and wash protocols in place
(where applicable) for science rooms, art rooms,
food technology and material technology rooms and
first aid rooms?
Do you have control processes in place for rubbishfree stormwater pits (e.g. evidenced by stormwater
gutters and pipes in clean and good condition,
stormwater and litter signage such as 'Only Rain in
the Drain')?
A7 Reuse/Recycling (Where Applicable)
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 0 of these actions.
Details
Are you reusing grey water as per EPA guidelines and
have you contacted your local council for advice?
Do you reuse storm and/or grey water for toilet
water?
Do you reuse stormwater for garden water supply as
per EPA guidelines?
Have you diverted stormwater for wetland, habitat
or irrigation systems?
Do you use water tanks (or alternative systems) for
the collection and redistribution of stormwater?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 24
B: Learning and Teaching
B1 Waste and Litter
Y/N
We need to complete at least 6 of these actions.
Action
Details
Do you have an action plan that clearly targets
classroom activities across the school to address
water?
Do you have clearly targeted classroom activities
around water issues that match the students' stages
of learning and personal development?
Are your classroom activities around water issues
clearly linked to outcomes in the Victorian Essential
Learning Standards or AUSVELS?
Are your classroom programs linked to practical,
'hands-on' activities that encourage:
>> The use of school grounds as an authentic
learning space for nature-based, informal and
outdoor learning about water conservation and
water usage reduction?
>> Excursions to provide students with first-hand
experience of catchments, local waterways and
natural areas and/or excursions to water education
centres?
>> Links to home-based projects and behaviour
change in water usage and using save water
calculators?
Does your school program provide students with the
opportunity to take responsibility for classroom
activities and programs in water issues?
Are interactive ICT resources used by students to
gain information on, and increase understanding of,
water and the water cycle, water issues and
stormwater quality?
Does your school engage indigenous learning
perspectives in curriculum development and relate
this to water?
Do you have visitors to school to provide students
and teachers with knowledge and motivation around
water conservation?
Do you participate in Waterwatch, Saltwatch,
Coastcare, Catchment Management Authority or
equivalent water habitat focused programs?
Are you using SETS as a curriculum activity to
monitor progress in water reduction in the school?
This is a crucial step in becoming a ResourceSmart
School as part of 5Star.
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
Page 25
C: Whole School Community Engagement
C1 Policy and Reporting
Y/N
We need to complete all of these actions.
Action
Details
Have your water policies, targets and action plan
been approved by school council and/or planning
committee?
Is the whole school provided with regular
communications about water activities and
programs?
Do you seek regular feedback from the whole school
and community on the water activities and
programs?
Have you completed and uploaded at least one
learning story in water issues onto school,
departmental or sustainability websites?
Is water education included as a priority, focus area
or emphasis in your school goals (e.g. in your school
plan, policy, administration and/or curriculum
charts)?
Do you run school events that target water
conservation and avoiding wastage?
C2 Student and Parent Leadership
Y/N
Action
We need to complete at least 2 of these actions.
Details
Are students involved in planning and managing the
water conservation and stormwater quality
programs?
Do you institute school environment leadership
through students in the school?
Do you have an active School Environment Club or
Student Action Team?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in the planning and management
of the water plan?
Do parents and other members of the school
community assist in implementing actions of the
water plan?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program
School Environment Management Plan (SEMP)
C3 Community and Communications Links
Y/N
Action
Page 26
We need to complete at least 4 of these actions.
Details
Does your school liaise and/or work with local or
regional water groups?
Have staff and/or students attended local
environmental network meetings?
Have staff and students participated in local
waterways projects and activities?
Are questions about the attitudes and changes in
water smart behaviour at home included in annual
parent surveys and wider school community surveys?
Do you include ideas and activities in school
newsletters to families about being more water
smart at home?
Do staff and/or students mentor other schools?
Do students and staff communicate about waterrelated issues with other schools across the state,
nation and globe?
Do staff and/or students give presentations on their
school water and stormwater programs to other
schools?
Does your school liaise with political representatives
from local, state and federal governments, local
business and local 'friends of' groups for support of
projects?
Completed with the assistance of CERES Community Environment Park as part of the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic program