Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown)—Congratulations to the Charlestown electorate schools recognised by at the Lake Macquarie School Environment Awards. Dudley Public School took out the 'Waste' category for introducing recycling pods, with separate bins for food waste, soft plastics, comingled recycling and general waste. Year 6 students have formed a 'Green Team' to deliver new sustainability initiatives across the school, and they've seen significant reduction in the school's contribution to landfill. Hillsborough Public School took out the overall primary school category, being recognised for its gardening club. Those dedicated students have created water-efficient gardens, and the school has introduced water and energy-saving practices. St Mary's Catholic College at Gateshead took out the overall high school category, with the creation of an aquaponics system using fish waste to fertilise herb and vegetable gardens. St Mary's helped tend four native beehives and worked with a local Landcare group to plant native trees, shrubs and grasses in the local area. I've visited St Mary's in the past and I was incredibly impressed by the passion for the environment exhibited by the teachers, staff and the students. These schools and their students show that our future will be in good hands.