What does a huge pile of rocks, dirt, mulch and a bunch of Indigenous plants have to do with protecting our bay?

It might come as a surprise to you that stormwater runoff is a massive source of pollution impacting the health of our bays and waterways. Every time it rains, anything that reaches a gutter – from cigarette butts, carwash, dog-poo to litter – tends to flow directly into the bay and onto our beaches.

The result? You guessed it. Smelly brown water, litter along our shores, a higher bacteria count, algae blooms and beaches being closed to swimmers after rain. Yikes.

Did you know Kunyung has been home to one of those stormwater runoff hotspots? Over the years, the area at the rear entrance to the school has become eroded with stormwater heading straight for the bay, taking soil, litter and pollutants with it.

The exciting bit???? We’ve put an end to this once and for all!

With the generous support of South East Water and the help of a couple of sustainability champions and the ‘I sea, I care’ team, we have created a sensational contoured landscape for maximum rainwater retention. The new soil, plants and rocks act like a sponge and will soak up future stormwater, reduce flooding and even pull carbon from the air into climate resilient plants. What’s more – the area contributes to our sense of place and our students LOVE the addition of a new nature area