I am pleased to mention in Parliament one of the great schools in my electorate of Epping – Oakhill Drive Public School, which has recently secured NSW Government funding to build a new kitchen garden.
The students of Oakhill have long been cultivating the most magnificent fruit and vegetable garden. They are taught where fruit and vegetables come from, the health benefits of eating them, and how to cook them. The garden includes sunflowers, pumpkins, watermelons, lemons, limes, and even chillis.
Until now, the students have used very basic cooking facilities and the garden needed a bit of work. However the NSW Government’s Sustainable School grant of $15,000 will enable the school build a brand new garden and a modern kitchen space that will be used by the students during their gardening sessions. The school’s garden program also incorporates subjects like science, mathematics and geography.
I want to acknowledge the principal of Oakhill Drive Public School, Betty Asmanis-Ploeg. Betty and her staff do a wonderful job, and I thank them for taking the initiative to make this happen. I can’t wait to hear about how the garden and the kitchen are going, and I look forward to getting down there and sampling some of the food.