The first earthworks for the Lismore City Environment Education Centre – a project first mooted 15 years ago – started on Monday at the Wyrallah Road Waste Facility. It is expected to be open by March 2013.
Lismore City Council has invested $220,000 in the Lismore City Environment Education Centre, which will be used for Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens open days; school and community group tours; staff and community training; and as a venue for environmental community organisations to meet.
The Lismore City Environment Education Centre will focus on waste and recycling, botanic gardens, wastewater, stormwater, koalas, rehabilitation, weeds and floodplain management.
‘We will be able to provide a unique educational experience to school students and people who visit the waste facility covering a wide variety of environmental issues,’ Council’s waste operations coordinator Kevin Trustum said.
‘It’s very exciting to see this centre taking shape. Making children aware of the environment around them and how their activities impact on their environment is really important, whether that relates to waste or the koalas they see in trees. When people have a sense of ownership and understanding of their natural environment from an early age it tends to create aware and responsible behaviour as they grow into adults.’