Peri-Urban

Hawkesbury campus reflects a best practice demonstration of peri-urban landscape management incorporating an integrated educational pathways through the Centre of Excellence in Peri-Urban Futures, practical demonstrations of strategies for climate change risks, and sustainability and industry partnerships.

The campus footprint of 1,400 hectares includes a built campus of 300 hectares, commercial farm and environmental assets of 600 hectares and 400 hectares of remnant Cumberland Plain vegetation.

Both the Hawkesbury Water Recycling Scheme and the Hawkesbury Farm are long established Living Labs for teaching, research and demonstration. Water recycling connects risk management needs in the fragmented peri-urban landscape, with benefits reflected through the water cycle.

The campus also supports world-leading research on climate change by the Hawkesbury Institute for Environment (opens in a new window) and incorporates collaboration with tenants such as NSW Local Land Services, Greening Australia, and North West Disability Services.

The initiatives underway on Hawkesbury campus inform broader Western strategy, through the developing Environmental Sustainability Action Plan and Resilience Assessment (PDF, 1822.81 KB) (opens in a new window) in relation to climate change risks. The University has established a biodiversity stewardship site and planning is underway on campus for solar carparks, and the Agri-tech hub.

Related Action Plan Theme

• Water Cycle Management