• 2010 Metropolitan Water Plan
• Community planning principles
• Engaging communities
  • Coordinating and integrating water education
  • Capacity building
  • Water education projects
  • Social marketing
• Understanding climate variability and climate change
• Creating a dynamic private water industry

Background and objectives

The Home Water Action Program trained eighteen bilingual educators to deliver home water action planning workshops and events and recruit water ambassadors within the Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Macedonian, Spanish and Vietnamese communities. 

This project partnership included the Metropolitan Water Directorate, NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Ethnic Communities’ Council and Sydney Water, working together to encourage water conservation within ethnic communities. 

The project forms part of the Ethnic Communities Sustainable Living Project which delivers culturally appropriate education covering a range of environmental sustainability issues within the 8 largest ethnic community groups in the greater Sydney metro area.

Project activities

The Home Water Action Program has eighteen bilingual educators delivering workshops and training sessions in appropriate community languages. In these workshops participants learn how to implement practical changes to save water and adopt water conservation behaviours in the home.

 

During these workshops participants and community leaders are invited to take on a voluntary role as a “water ambassador” to assist in promoting the Water for Life Home Water Action Program.

 

Water ambassadors then assist in delivering the program to a wider audience and work with participating local councils to encourage water savings within the community.

 

A draft educator’s resource guide has been developed and is available for other community educators to adapt and implement the program. Alternatively community educators can work with the Ethnic Community Council to develop a program for local delivery.  

 

Program activities included:

• Development of culturally appropriate resources
• Training for bilingual educators
• Recruitment and training for voluntary ‘water ambassadors’
• Awareness raising via ethno-specific publications and radio
• Home Water Action Workshops in community languages
• Home Water Action events
• “Draft Home Water Action Educator's Guide”

Workshops in detail:

 

The bilingual educators, with the support of Sydney Water, continue to deliver workshops to existing groups and organisations within the Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Macedonian, Spanish and Vietnamese speaking communities.

 

The workshops focus on ‘home water action planning’ and ways to conserve water within the home, through teaching and demonstrating behavioural changes that effect a reduction in the consumption of potable water within the home.

 

Workshops promote initiatives such as the Sydney Water DIY kits and WaterFix programs, in addition to the rebates available for water saving devices and rainwater tanks.

  

Outcomes and successes

 

Outcomes to date include:

• 37 workshops delivered to community groups by Bilingual Edcuators reaching 1495 people
• Increased participant awareness, knowledge and understanding of how to conserve water
• 70 volunteer water ambassadors recruited to support Sydney's Chinese and Sri Lankan communities
• A further 2,600 people supported by the water ambassadors to conserve water
• Water ambassadors recognised and thanked by the Minister for Water, the Hon. Nathan Rees at a special celebration event
• Millions of litres of precious drinking water saved 
• Draft Home Water Action Educator's Guide for ethnic communities and educators developed

Resources and tools

 

A Draft Home Water Action Educator's Guide is available on request from the Ethnic Community Council.

 

How to get involved & find out more

 

Contact the Water Education Coordinator at the Ethnic Communities' Council on
02-9319 0288 or via email hwac@eccnsw.org.au
Go to www.eccnsw.org.au for more information.

  

Project partner

 

The Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW (ECC) is a non-government peak body representing many organisations and people from the multicultural community in NSW.

Members of the ECC comprise representatives from a wide range of community organisations and individuals that are the stakeholders in the ECC. The ECC's primary roles are advocacy, education and community development. The ECC actively promotes the principles of multiculturalism and works vigorously towards the further development of a multicultural society. The Council believes that everyone in Australia has the right to participate fully in our society. The Council is involved in developing strategies regarding the most important issues to touch ethnic communities - and these include housing, employment, education, health and the environment.

 

The ECC is funded by the Community Relations Commission; the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care;  the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the Metropolitan Water Directorate.