- Published:
- Thursday 5 June 2025
The Allan Labor Government is celebrating the achievements of students, teachers and school volunteers taking action to protect our environment.
Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos today announced the winners of the ResourceSmart Schools Awards which rewards schools that minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and act on climate change.
Over thirty primary and secondary schools were finalists across 12 categories at this year’s awards event which were celebrated with the theme ‘Working Together’, acknowledging the impact of combined efforts.
Lilydale Heights College was recognised with the ResourceSmart School of the Year award for embedding sustainability into the school’s curriculum and culture.
Taking home two trophies in the primary school category was Heany Park Primary School in Rowville – a winner of the Curriculum Leadership School of the Year and Student Action Team of the Year for creating an endangered species awareness week, organising school-wide clean up events and hosting a weekly gardening club.
Kew High School was a winner in two secondary school categories: Student Action Team of the Year and Teacher of the Year, awarded to Elise Dunstan for her outstanding commitment to environmental leadership. Her efforts include leading the school’s Sustainability Summit which brought together over 200 students from 19 schools.
The CDS Excellence Award has demonstrated how schools are benefiting from the state’s Container Deposit Scheme with Wandin Yallock and Kardinia International College winning the respective primary and secondary school titles for reducing waste and raising funds.
Since 2008, over 1,600 Victorian schools have participated in the program, planting more than 5.1 million trees, saved over $63 million through energy, waste and water savings, diverted 170,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill and avoided over 110,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information about the winners and finalists visit sustainability.vic.gov.au/rssa-2025-winners.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos
“Our schools are producing incredibly impressive projects that are delivering real environmental benefits across the state.”
“Students gain hands-on experience in sustainability, how to reduce waste, conserve energy, and protect the environment while gaining skills that will be with them for life.”
Quote attributable to Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll
“Our students, teachers and volunteers recognised in these awards are exemplary role models bringing about positive change, not only in their schools but in the wider community.”
2025 ResourceSmart Schools Award winners
Award | School |
ResourceSmart School of the Year | Lilydale Heights College, Lilydale |
Emerging School of the Year | St Angela of the Cross Primary School, Warragul |
Campus Infrastructure and Operations School of the Year | St Monica’s College, Epping |
School Volunteer of the Year | Bayswater South Primary School, Bayswater |
Primary Teacher of the Year | Marita Ryan, Albion Primary School, Albion |
Secondary Teacher of the Year | Kew High School, Kew East |
Student Action Team of the Year (Primary) | Heany Park Primary School, Rowville |
Student Action Team of the Year (Secondary) | Kew High School, Kew East |
CDS Vic Excellence School of the Year (Primary) | Wandin Yallock Primary School, Wandin North |
CDS Vic Excellence School of the Year (Secondary) | Kardinia International College, Geelong |
Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Primary) | Heany Park Primary School, Rowville |
Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Secondary) | Victory Christian College, Strathdale |