Environmental Education is part of Council's ongoing commitment to promoting active community participation and to the protection and sustainable management of our precious natural environment. 

Environmental Education and Action Program

Council’s Environmental Education and Action Plan (EEAP) includes: 

• Activities for local residents such as Sustainability Workshops, events such as World Environment Day (5 June), and 'Gutter Talk', a community participation initiative featuring a new-for-old broom trade in for residents who pledge to help keep their street gutters clean.
• Community Environmental Grants - providing small seed grants to help support schools and community groups complete their own environmental projects 
• Schools Program - Council working with local schools to help them become more sustainable and to involve and educate their students. The schools program features annual competitions such as the Woollahra Environmental Sculpture Schools Competition, and a network for teachers and parents, the Eastern Suburbs Schools Sustainability Network (ESSSN).
• Bin your Butts – a project aimed at reducing cigarette butt litter, now recognised as Australia’s biggest litter problem.

A clean harbour starts at the gutter 

The best way to improve the quality of water in Sydney Harbour is to improve the quality of water flowing down our storm water drains into the Harbour.

Where does storm water go?

A catchment is an area where water is collected by the natural landscape and eventually flows into a creek, river, ocean – or in Woollahra’s case, a harbour. Historically, catchments carried water along natural creek beds; however most of these creeks have been modified or piped underground as the area has been developed over time. Many residents do not realise that while we are not able to see them, these waterways still exist underneath our homes and carry water directly from our storm water drains into Sydney Harbour. Our actions at home therefore directly affect the condition of Sydney Harbour.

How can we keep our harbour clean? 

There are many simple things we can all do to help keep Sydney Harbour beautiful.

• Keep the gutter outside our homes clean

• Sweep paved areas instead of hosing them

• Always put rubbish in the bin

• “Choose to refuse” plastic bags - carry shopping in re-usable bags

• Put cotton buds and tissues in the bin, not down the toilet

• Put grease and oil in a sealed container in the bin, not down the sink

• Wash paint brushes in an old tin, rather than under a running tap

• Compost garden waste such as fallen leaves and grass clippings

• Plant native trees – they need less water

• Use organic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers

• Wash vehicles on the lawn

• Put dog droppings in the bin

Learn more about catchments and keeping our Harbour clean

Find out which catchment you live in