What are the main factors influencing green infrastructure in primary schools in metropolitan Melbourne?
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2016
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Melbourne Authors
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Office for Environmental Programs
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Masters Coursework thesis
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© 2016 Ashley-Cara Onori
Abstract
Green Infrastructure (GI) is showing promise for improving school landscapes for children’s wellbeing, energy and water efficiency, integrating with environmental education and opportunities to involve the wider school community. GI is considered a novel solution during this somewhat transitional period of adapting sustainable infrastructure into cities and thus it can be expensive and complex to administer and maintain. Literature around the experiences of implementation at the municipal level cite underlying issues in autocratic governance structures, problems around ownership of the infrastructure, ongoing maintenance issues, lack of long term planning and statutory barriers. In schools the trend for implementing productive gardens has shone a light on factors around the commitment of staff and support needed in the school curriculum. There is a literature gap, however, at the nexus of broad, water sensitive GI projects in schools, at a time when many schools in Australia are becoming interested in forms of GI including school productive gardens and stormwater tanks. Government, private and not-for-profit organizations have a variety of resources in place to promote schools implementing and managing GI projects, though challenges experienced in some schools indicate more may be needed to address on-ground needs.
This research paper firstly maps the current policy and programs available to schools in western Melbourne and represents the complex web of resources and organizations influential to schools through a mind-map graphic. A case study analysis then gathers empirical evidence from interviews with staff at two schools that have implemented GI projects in western metropolitan Melbourne, to gain an understanding around the school’s on-ground experiences and needs. It was found that factors influencing schools are a mix of professional assistance, government support and local issues. Current resources mainly offer funding and educational assistance to schools, and many of the main influencing programs and departments have yet to make connections between school sustainable infrastructure, greening for children’s wellbeing, and adaptation to future climate scenarios. Conversely, the GI practitioners interviewed explicitly make these climate and wellbeing connections and conceptualize their implementation of GI as a means-to-an-end. They identify that a focus on professional project management and planning is needed, that programs need ongoing assistance after implementation to ensure long term infrastructure functionality, and that school’s governing bodies acknowledge the importance of facilities for children’s education, sustainability measures and the benefits for the wider school community. Findings around broad community benefits, the involvement of governing bodies and problems with past stormwater tank implementation are relevant in the broader literature around GI in public domains. A follow-up quantitative analysis with a larger sample size of schools and participants is needed to make more specific recommendations to ensure future school programs actively benefit schools and their local environment.
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environmental education, green infrastructure, water sensitive urban design