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Green card for UNE courtyard revamp

June 30, 2004

Courtyard.thumb.jpgRecycling concrete, laying frost-tolerant turf and introducing recycling bins are just some of the environmentally-sensitive features of the courtyard revamp at the University of New England.
Construction Manager Graham Johnson said the revamp’s design was the result of talks involving students, academics and general staff.
“The environmental features we have implemented with the revamp will save the university thousands of dollars,” Mr Johnson said.

Work on the Central Courtyard’s redesign started earlier this year and is scheduled to be completed by August.
The revamped courtyard is part of UNE’s master plan from 2002 and includes an extension of Graduates’ Walk, from Booloominbah to the cafeteria and Bistro buildings.
It was while workers were excavating around this site they unearthed gravel from a buried car-park base.
“The workers decided to recycle this gravel as a base for the new paths,” Mr Johnson said.
Other innovative ideas used in the project to make it environmentally friendly include:
* Mulching the trees removed from the site and using this as compost and ground-cover in other areas across campus.
* Introducing recycling bins in the courtyard. When the revamp is complete, the courtyard will have about 16 bins, each marked for recycling matter, plastics or metals.
* Recycling old concrete and bits of masonry dug-up in the courtyard. Some of this will be used to control erosion in and around some swale drains on campus and to fill in some of the excavated areas.
* Sourcing re-constituted concrete from Western Australia to build new paving stones.
* Replanting old turf from the courtyard to other areas across UNE, including around the Equity Office and the western Common Room.
* Planting a new, frost-tolerant type of grass, a cross between Buffalo and Fescue and sourced locally, in the courtyard.
Mike Quinlan, Director of UNE’s Facilities Management Services, said: “The intention [of the revamp] is to open [the courtyard] up so staff and students can sit in the sun in winter and have enough shade in summer.”
There will also be extra seating in the new courtyard.

Posted by Lydia Roberts at June 30, 2004 03:58 PM