A large part of Council’s Sustainable Futures Program is The Sustainability Hub. The Hub, located on Wilkinson Ave, is set to be a hive of activity throughout 2018. A number of community groups are planning a variety of events at the Hub. Muswellbrook Shire Council’s Sustainability Unit manage the Hub but rely heavily on community support.
Throughout the year The Muswellbrook Penguin Garden Club, Muscle Creek Landcare, Goodstart Learning Centre, Warrior Disability Services, Endeavour Group Australia (EGA) and Muswellbrook Girl Guides will be involved in activities based around sustainability. Muswellbrook Shire Council will also host a variety of workshops on practical sustainable living.
The Muswellbrook Penguin Garden Club, meet monthly, and are planning workshops and working bees on pallet wall gardens, worm farms, composting, healthy food gardens, healthy eating and lots more. The Penguin Garden Club, auspiced by Council, grows local food for local charities and has a composting and worm farm system. The group is featured on the cover of the local 2018 Yellow Pages in recognition of the work they do and received Council’s environmental award at the 2018 Australia Day Awards. The group has established 15 garden beds and has successfully gained grants and other donations to support daily operations. In partnership with Red Door Kitchen, Warrior Disability Services collect food scraps for composting and the food grown in the garden is donated back to the kitchen. Another local disability services group EGA runs the worm farm for the garden club.
Muscle Creek Landcare, meet the first Saturday of each month and will continue to plant and maintain native plants along the creek, collect litter and hold nursery activities. Goodstart Early Learning Centre and Muswellbrook Girl Guides will help by sowing seeds and growing and looking after plants.
Other groups involved in the Sustainable Futures Program at the Sustainability Hub are:
- Hunter Valley Aboriginal Corporation (HVAC)
“Its where people with interest in gardening get together and learn from each other, we all have differing knowledge and skills and we all share a similar passion. We all care about our community and giving back in some small way, too. We run workshops on various subjects to learn and teach each other and to share knowledge, it’s a great experience”. Ross Pahuru, General Manager, Hunter Valley Aboriginal Corporation.
- Penguin Garden Club
“Teaming up with the Sustainability Hub has provided the Girl Guides with easily accessible, hands-on experience to explore sustainability in their day to day lives. Assisting in our aim to “empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting and responsible community members” Sally Jackson Unit Leader – 2A Muswellbrook Guides. - Muswellbrook Girl Guides
“Having moved from North Queensland, for me, spending time at the gardens has enabled me to learn about composting, saving and planting seeds and growing plants in a cold climate. Working with others in the community has enabled me to meet some great people and make new friends”. Muriel Green, Penguin Garden Club member.
- Goodstart Learning Centre
"As the need for greater sustainability becomes more apparent globally, so does the importance of embedding sustainability in our children's programs. Through these hands-on experiences, we are able to involve our children in opportunities such as this to explore and learn about their local environments. Practicing sustainability empowers children to construct knowledge, explore values and develop an appreciation of the environment and its relationship to their worlds. This lays the foundations for an environmentally responsible adulthood." Stacey Goodall, Preschool Teacher, Goodstart Early Learning Centre.
- Muswellbrook Out of School Hours Care
- Muswellbrook Pre School
- Ability Links
- Warrior Disability Services
- Brookside Christian School
For more information about the Sustainability Hub contact the Sustainability Unit on 6549 3700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
