TAFE Queensland Robina Campus
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Sustainability underpins everything we do at the new Robina Campus. Key to our organisational culture, sustainability is embedded into our campus operations, and academic programs, and forms a crucial part of our student and staff development programs. We have adopted the broader definition of sustainability to not only protect the planet but improve the lives and prospects of our students, staff, and community. Our plan for sustainability is built around 5 pillars:
• Campus
• Curriculum and Training
• Research and Reporting
• Community and Workplace
• Culture

We believe that increasingly students will want their place of study to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. The intention is to empower and mobilise students to become active global citizens who advocate for protecting and caring for the environment and people-related issues. Our students are fully immersed in a learning environment that ensures they are developing the green skills required for a sustainable future and future green jobs. The curriculum at the Robina Campus has been designed to support the sustainable delivery of high-quality education, with an emphasis on inclusive and accessible learning, strong community ties, and collaboration with industry to meet the SDG goals for decent work outcomes and economic growth. Courses are tailored to meet in-demand skill areas, including commercial cookery, hospitality, early childhood education and care, sport and recreation, and hair and beauty.

Robina Campus runs a range of ecofriendly 'live training' venues which are open to the community and act as practical learning labs for our students. Venues include:
• Green Fields Bar + Restaurant - offers contemporary dining
• Seedpod Café - ground floor café offers a place for students and locals to connect with healthier menu options
• Robina Events Centre (Conference and banquet centre) - can host events for up to 300 people for seminars and 200 people
for banquet meals, and practising sustainability
• TQ Fitness (Fitness centre) - offers a full-service gymnasium
• Nature's Escape Hairdressing and Barber Salon – in partnership with Sustainable Salons which takes our used plastics and salon metals to be sold and upcycled into products such as reading glasses and outdoor furniture
• Nature's Escape Beauty Salon – this venue provides opportunities for students to practise their skills on clients who are offered the services at a discounted rate to cover material costs.

The live training environments provide immersive learning, particularly with an ecofriendly lens and ensure students graduate with the technical skill requirements of the job and a broader understanding of how to apply SDGs within a profitable business. The café, restaurant, event centre, hair, barber and beauty salons, and fitness centre are operated by TAFE Queensland as not-for-profit with any profits reinvested into identified programs. Staff are employed to run the facilities and manage training in the live environment. This model ensures 100% commitment to the SDGs and positively influences training outcomes for students.

The approach to learning, cultural and environmental factors, and taking a community approach as an integral part of the development and operation of the campus, has created a unique, innovative, and future-focused approach. To implement a change process including strategies for securing buy-in, effectively communicating the change, and building momentum over time, Robina Campus has collaborated with industry, community partners, and government to create a coordinated approach to green skilling. The students and staff participate in community projects in partnerships with community farms, charities, local schools, and sustainable organisations including Sustainable Salons, BeHive, RABA Farm, upcycling of clothing and other items, participation in the World's Greatest Shave, Push-Up Challenge, sustainable Christmas Markets, composting and Containers for Change.

Robina Campus works closely with local businesses, government agencies, and community groups to promote sustainability and share knowledge and resources. The campus also hosts a range of sustainability-focused events and workshops that are open to the public. Robina Campus runs a range of initiatives to promote the adoption of energy efficiency practices including a tour of the building for new students and visitors. The tour highlights the building features and the goals of the campus community. Weekly lunchbox workshop sessions are scheduled with partners such as the City of Gold Coast Council, Envirobank, and Behive.

An example of a local initiative involves a local community farm. Robina Campus uses 4 different bins for rubbish including organic waste. All organic waste from the bins and the live training venues is moved to our onsite composter. The compost is used on the herb gardens located at the restaurant with the gardens managed by both Early Childhood and Education and Cookery students. The additional compost is sent to our partner, Raba Urban Farm, and used on our plot at the farm for produce used at the restaurant and cafe. Different campus groups attend the Farm as part of an embedded sustainability learning activity within their unit of study. Staff and student volunteers also assist on the Farm. Through embedded sustainability activities in class and education messages on TV screens around campus, staff and students learn to divert food material waste along with methods to minimise food waste. QR codes are available to assist staff and students in selecting the correct bin.

Building relationships with local like-minded businesses, schools, not-for-profit, and other organisations has resulted in many innovative partnerships. Robina State High School and Robina Campus have worked on projects such as diverting bed linen from landfill to be made into recycled yarn through the Sheridan Recycling Program. Another collaboration has been with Solar Buddy which involved all early childhood and adult migration students learning about extreme energy poverty and global citizenship in a program aligned to the curriculum and SDGs. Other initiatives driven by staff and students include a clothing exchange program and a ‘swap table’ operating on level 2.

We have also partnered with Sustainable Salons. Together we will be contributing to reducing our impact on the planet and supporting local communities and charities. Sustainable salons will collect used plastics and salon metals to be sold and upcycled into products such as reading glasses and outdoor furniture. Proceeds from these sales are donated to charities such as Ozharvest which supply food to communities of people in need. Hair is collected and made into hair booms as a natural way to clean up oil spills on land and in oceans. This partnership has provided TAFE Queensland Gold Coast an opportunity to actively contribute to improving our impact on the environment, with benefits to people in our local community.

Each of the new partnerships formed has a direct financial benefit along with value-in-kind arrangements. Partnerships with recycling groups such as Envirobank (Containers for Change) and Behive continue to provide a level of service on campus through recycling facilities and educational workshops. The partnership with the City of Gold Coast Council has provided a range of opportunities via the active transportation campaign including a local map and workshop sessions on water and waste. The partnerships offer our students opportunities for work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences which is an ideal pathway to employment.

Robina Campus runs a range of ecofriendly 'live training' venues which are open to the community and act as practical learning labs for our students. Venues include:
• Green Fields Bar + Restaurant - offers contemporary dining
• Seedpod Café - ground floor café offers a place for students and locals to connect with healthier menu options
• Robina Events Centre (Conference and banquet centre) - can host events for up to 300 people for seminars and 200 people
for banquet meals, and practising sustainability
• TQ Fitness (Fitness centre) - offers a full-service gymnasium
• Nature's Escape Hairdressing and Barber Salon – in partnership with Sustainable Salons which takes our used plastics and salon metals to be sold and upcycled into products such as reading glasses and outdoor furniture
• Nature's Escape Beauty Salon – this venue provides opportunities for students to practise their skills on clients who are offered the services at a discounted rate to cover material costs.

Robina Campus establishes an understanding of sustainability and outlines opportunities to engage at the very start of a student's journey - orientation. At the orientation, each of the 4 academic departments, welcomes students to the whole campus and in particular their live training venues. The orientation covers how Robina Campus was built from the ground up to incorporate sustainable building practices and operations. Students learn about the UN SDGs and in particular, the 6 x SDGs chosen by Robina Campus for continued education and engagement. All educators have been fully prepared to embed sustainability in all delivery with detailed mapping to units and lesson plans. In terms of Air and Climate, the Bulletin Board, TV screens, engagement events, and regular communication with students, Robina Campus visually shows how it is monitoring its usage of energy and water and managing waste.

Through this approach, students have the opportunity via embedded sustainability learning activities to apply their knowledge and skills. For example, early childhood and adult migration students work on the Solar Buddy program. Working in teams of 2-3, students assemble a StudentBuddy which is donated to communities in developing countries. The StudentBuddy program combines practical team-building skills and real-world impact. It provides an exciting and challenging session for our students and promotes general capabilities, including critical and creative thinking, intercultural understanding, and ethical understanding. The lights built, provide children living in energy poverty, with light that can be ceiling hung, as a torch, and has USB charging capabilities.

The building's modern design and construction practices meet sustainability ambitions, reduce greenhouse emissions, and meet the National Australian Built Environment 5-star Rating Standard (NABERS) with 250 solar panels, providing renewable energy for the campus and maximised use of performance solar glass. The fit-out includes recycled materials and ecological finishes throughout with installed sensor-activated lighting and LED task lighting. TAFE Queensland’s Robina campus on the Gold Coast won Silver for a sustainability-focused construction award in the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics 2022 Awards of Excellence. TAFE Queensland’s Robina campus was nominated for its demonstrated commitment to sustainability.

Robina is the first Vocational Education and Training campus in Australia designed from the ground up to be sustainable in building, fit-out, procurement, curriculum, operations, and culture. Staff, students and visitors through a campus tour, are informed about the features of the building and how they contribute to sustainability. Educators and students complete orientation to further understand the building features with the use of the building features in lesson planning. The Technology Enabled Active Learning( TEAL) spaces include innovative desk designs, moveable furniture, screens on multiple walls, roof-mounted cameras for live streaming and recording of lessons, 100% Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), and breakout rooms for group work.

The journey starts from the moment an individual walks through the doors by being immersed into the atrium setting with a projection of underwater images on the ceiling above. Every level has been themed, from the ocean floor on ground level, through to the canopy of the rainforest on Level 3 and the sky on Level 4. Large TV screens and bulletin boards reinforce messages with tranquil scenes being projected on the ceilings to promote a sense of peace and tranquility to assist with mental well-being.

A modern sustainable energy management system is now commissioned and incorporated into the building. Statistics on usage and monthly tracking of current performance against sustainability targets are being monitored using the Building Management System (BMS) with a comprehensive Bi report tracking progress. The BMS has significant capabilities including separate metering lighting general power and mechanical services. The lighting system interfaces with the BMS and controls the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). The Bi report produces visuals that can be used to connect to the community using factors such as trees planted. These screen shots are regularly displayed on the TV screens and bulletin boards around the campus.

Utilising the Building Management system to adjust mechanical Variable Speed Drive (VSD) and isolating mechanical operation by room against usage are features. Lighting controls through automated ZEN software to reduce lighting levels and usage is another. 99kW Solar System offsetting imported energy through energy production is built and returned to the grid. The measurement of energy use is displayed on TV screens and is extracted from the Robina Campus Bi report which provides monthly updates for use by educators.

Educators use opportunities to educate students about how to implement modern and sustainable energy services in infrastructure and technology through:
*electricity-efficient devices
*consolidated air conditioning equipment
*high-efficiency equipment and fittings in buildings (including solar and green energy equipment).

Students apply their learnings about the building by participating in events and activities with our partners and community groups. As an example, Robina Campus has hosted a number of different market events i.e. Christmas markets. Our event students coordinate the markets and highlight the building features and operations to stall holders and attendees by leading a tour of the Campus.

The food and dining components of the Robina Campus are a major feature in meeting our sustainability goals. All hospitality, cookery, and event students are taken through the processes used at the live training venues i.e. composting, lighting, recycling. The campus implements a range of initiatives in regard to food and dining which include:

*Procure sustainable and compostable single-use food and beverage packaging for the Seedpod Café. The preference is for customers to bring their keep item, but if this is not possible then we use products that fit the closed loop system.
*Products purchased in take-away containers or PET bottles can be tracked through the point of sale. The number of consumable items (coffee cups, pet bottles and take-away containers) are discarded after a single use. A discount is offered for every keep item brought into the Seedpod Café for the product purchased. The discount is attached to a hot beverage, cold beverage, or container for food that has been saved from a single use. This information is readily available in reports on a daily/monthly and yearly basis.
*The use of the innovative system i-milk, the smartest milk dispenser on the market. I-milk’s patented design and clever software combine to save thousands of dollars and man-hours. Instead of manually pouring milk, a milk jug is placed on the dispenser which recognises the size of the jug and fills it to the level pre-set. I-milk uses weight-based technology to deliver accuracy to avoid waste.
*At the Greenfields Bar and Restaurant, waste is reduced by ensuring all parts of fresh produce are used i.e. chicken frames used to make stock. Stock and sauces not used on the day are packaged for sale at the Seedpod Café.
*Use of refillable bottles and cups at rehydration stations.
*Implementing a closed-loop system where waste is reused and repurposed within the campus, such as composting food waste to create fertilizer, and capturing rainwater for use.
*All organic waste from the bins and the commercial service areas is moved to our onsite composter. The compost is used on the herb gardens located at the restaurant with the gardens managed by both Early Childhood and Education and Cookery students. The additional compost is sent to our partner, Raba Urban Farm, and used on our plot at the farm for produce used at the restaurant and cafe.
*Through embedded sustainability activities in class and education messages on TV screens around campus, staff and students learn to divert food material waste along with methods to minimise food waste.
*Working with suppliers and staff to reduce waste, increase recycling and improve the waste mix on campus is a priority.
*Menus at the restaurant and café reflect a seasonal menu.

The campus is an integral part of the Robina community with the public invited to use the campus café, restaurant, and event centre that are all run by students, educators, and commercial service staff. The Robina campus is not just a place of learning for our students, but a place for the community to come together. Students practise their new-found skills, connecting with the local community at our live training facilities. Part of the student journey is to inform customers about the features of the food being served, the practices used, and a direction to our suppliers which are featured on the menu via a QR code.

The students' knowledge and skills are further applied in outside events. For example, Robina Campus hosted a 'Long Table Lunch' for 100 people at the Mudgeeraba Agriculture Show. This event provided a commercial event opportunity for hospitality, event, and cooking students to apply their learnings. Educators and students helped to explain to the lunch attendees how they had applied sustainable practices to the lunch event i.e. open air cooking, use of local suppliers for ingredients, fully utilising all parts of the produce in the cooking and preparation, and the use of reuseable products for serving.

Robina Campus is also committed to action. The campus has partnered with local businesses and community organisations to promote sustainable practices and reduce their impact on the environment. These partnerships provide students with valuable opportunities to apply their sustainability knowledge in the real world and make a positive impact in the community. A range of specialist events i.e. Melbourne Cup event, Mock Graduation, and Wedding Expos have been scheduled to identify more local businesses to form partnerships.

Not applicable

Robina Campus has identified a number of suppliers which are certified and/or use ethical and sustainable practices to generate their products. Where possible, the suppliers are small and medium enterprises within the local region. Robina Campus used a survey of our suppliers to gather evidence of their practices as well as completing desktop research and reviews of each organisation.

TAFE Queensland has reviewed all policy, strategy, and work instructions connected to procurement so that the approach used by Robina Campus is implemented across all campuses. This body of work is part of TQ's Social and Environmental Sustainability (SES) action plan and the Campus Sustainability Strategy.

Sample supplier stories are listed on the websites for Green Fields Restaurant and Seedpod Cafe with a QR code on the menus linking to the website.

Commercial cookery students apply their understanding and skills about sustainability when compiling menus and costing a budget for the live training venues. Students apply and understand the:
*Use of seasonal produce for menu planning
*Value of using local suppliers
*Importance of composting
*Compost system used at the Campus and how the 24/7 Composter works
*Need to reuse and recycle products and limit wastage
*Energy sources used to cook and store food
*Most effective way to store food to maximise life of products and minimise waste
*Use of all parts of a product i.e. chicken, seafood to minimise waste and costs.

Robina Campus has partnered with the City of Gold Coast Council (CGCC) to facilitate sharing of existing CGCC active travel strategy information:
*Public Transport
*Walking
*Bike/Scooter
*Ride Share
*Interactive Maps.

The interactive maps have been developed to assist students and staff in finding their way to campus. Location markers have been added to direct students to the campus. Cobranded 'Pathway Decals' have been developed to assist in promoting walking from the campus to nearby public transport locations or key services and facilities. Robina Campus is located centrally to train and bus centres.

Robina Campus has created a partnership with LIME Bikes, where the bikes are housed on and near the campus. This makes it easier for individuals to decide to use these services. We have also negotiated a 20% discount for students and staff when they enter their TAFE Queensland e-mail address in the promotion area of the TAFE Queensland LIME app when making a payment.

Robina campus has end-of-journey change facilities, bicycle parks, repair stations, skateboard and scooter storage, and electric charging stations. Robina Campus has 2 electric vehicles for staff use. Both staff and students have access to the 10 electric charging stations.

Students have attended workshops with CGCC to understand the impact of changing transport options has on the environment. Signage around Campus along with targeted messages on billboards and TV screens keeps the strategy at the forefront. At this point, there has been no specific projects for students to apply their knowledge and learning in this area.

TAFE Queensland works closely with its waste contractors to establish baseline carbon emission measures and measure movements thereafter. A Power Bi dashboard for collating and viewing this data is available to help measure consumption and implement reduction strategies. Waste reporting identifies various waste streams, including general, confidential, grease traps, green and recycling waste - as well as metal and timber.

At Robina Campus, waste minimisation strategies are in place with recycling stations throughout the campus. Students are connected with Recycle Mate, Envirobank's Containers for Change program, and BeHive Programs. Educators use these programs, apps, and websites to embed these practices into active learning. The Campus works with the City of Gold Coast Council to run awareness, and education sessions with staff and students so that the recycling stations are fully utilised. QR codes assist staff and students to utilise the 4 bins correctly.

Strategies include:
• All organic waste from the bins and the commercial service areas is moved to our onsite composter. The compost is used on the herb gardens located at the restaurant with the gardens managed by both Early Childhood and Education and Cookery students. The additional compost is sent to our partner, Raba Urban Farm, and used on our plot at the farm for produce used at the restaurant and cafe.
• Through embedded sustainability activities in class and education messages on TV screens around campus, staff and students learn to divert food material waste along with methods to minimise food waste.
• Working with suppliers and staff to reduce waste, increase recycling and improve the waste mix on campus is a priority. Using Fairtrade products, energy-efficient equipment, implementing keep cup programs, and using locally sourced and in-season products in commercial cookery training and our onsite commercial services are just a few of the initiatives underway.
• Initiatives include paper monitoring to reduce paper use, no plastic sold, reusable water bottles with hydration stations, recycling programs, organic composting, zero waste, and reusable supplies.
• Regular communique, billboards, and TV screens highlight waste strategies and the Composta output.
• Signage throughout the building refers to the system for recycling including QR codes.

Early childhood students apply learning in relation to waste at all times. The centre of learning hosts the 'Early Sprouts' childhood program where the activities use only natural products including a strong connection with nature (sticks, flowers, bark, etc) for creative projects. From an early age, our students are connecting with young children about using nature's own product supply instead of shop-bought items which contribute to waste.

Robina Campus collects all rainwater via a tank system (200,000 litres) with this water fed back into the system for toilet flushing and soft landscaping. Robina Campus leases the building and does not control the usage of the rainwater collected. The Robina Campus Bi report captures our water usage.

The City of Gold Coast Council has run sessions about water management and usage. As the Campus is built on a coastal plain, it is also important for students to understand water safety (surf and rivers), conservation, and preservation, particularly our international students. Images and information is provided via artworks on walls to feature the water areas near the campus i.e. Tallebudgera Creek

Our hair and beauty students learn about conserving water and using natural products or low-chemical levels. Our partnership with Sustainable Salons where the hair collected is made into hair booms as a natural way to clean up oil spills on land and in oceans. Students regularly practise conserving water as part of their training and take this learning to their workplaces to share with co-workers.

What makes Robina Campus distinctive is how we have planned and implemented a totally different approach. We have embraced sustainability as a core value and incorporated it into every aspect of the build, fit-out, procurement, curriculum, operations, governance, and culture.

Staff and students work together on a joint sustainability committee (6 staff and 6 students) to plan and engage with students and the community on sustainability activities that promote good practice. During the three (3) years lead-in time to opening, lots of information was shared, and training was implemented. Consultation with staff and students throughout has ensured their voices and ideas were considered and has been key to initiating and developing the campus and community culture. This consultation regularly continues through the joint Sustainability Committee, at workshops, events, Microsoft Team sites, and CONNECT (our learning management system) where students can connect and share with a broader group.

The future goals and ambitions of the Robina Campus include - ‘to be a leader in sustainable development, creating a culture of sustainability that extends beyond the campus, and into the wider community’. This includes empowering students to become active global citizens who advocate for protecting and caring for the environment. Overall, the Robina Campus aims to be a model for other institutions, showing how a commitment to sustainability can drive positive outcomes for staff, students, the environment, the community, and the economy.

The planning and design for this project commenced three (3) years before the campus was to open. Having the right governance structures in place throughout the project was critical to the success of the planning, design, and construction of the campus. A Steering Committee was established with five (5) sub-committees to oversee the project development. Each committee was chaired by a person on the overarching Steering Committee.

Robina was chosen as the location as it was identified as a key growth area with the population predicted to rise by 36% by 2041. The development of this campus responds to the future needs of the area for training opportunities and skilled workers. The building is located in the heart of Robina’s growing corporate community. It is in an intelligently designed business park surrounded by world-class dining, sporting, shopping, health, and education facilities and is within walking distance to the Robina Town Centre and train station.

The development was based on a unique partnership between the TAFE Queensland Board (a statutory body) and Queensland and Australian Governments to create a fit-for-purpose facility to meet the growing needs of the community in which it is based. TAFE Queensland worked with the developer to secure flexible commercial arrangements for the building, based on a long-term lease with options of up to 30 years. This modern approach to infrastructure development has many benefits for VET. In the past, new buildings have been directly owned and can become a burden over time in terms of maintenance and flexibility to change delivery locations based on student and community needs.

Consultation and collaboration with the local community, businesses, and other stakeholders have been a critical part of the sustainable design of the campus. Through working with local businesses including aged care, hospitality, fitness, education providers, charitable organisations, and government at all levels, the campus has been aligned with the training and business opportunities in the community and region in which it is located.

TAFE Queensland celebrates and values the diversity of its community and is dedicated to ensuring equal opportunity and treatment for students throughout their learning experience. We believe that everyone has the right to be their authentic self at all times. Our Student and Staff Equity and Diversity Policies, the TAFE Queensland Pride Network, the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, and the Indigenous Participation Plan support a shared and safe environment across all campuses.

Robina Campus, with our diversity of students including First Nation, international, and adult migrant cohorts, is committed to creating a positive learning environment and sharing cultural stories, food, practices, and experiences with all students and staff via a number of different events and embedded educational work. Additionally, to show support for the LGBTQIA community, a 'pride' lighting program is used in the foyer of the building. The graphics throughout the building support our policies and plans.

Students have facilitated a number of cultural events, especially during Harmonisation Week where events around sharing food from their own cultural background helped to make new connections and promote conversations. Students participate in 'Pride Day' and show their support for fellow students by wearing purple.

TAFE Queensland has a Foundation Program and acknowledges that we are not all created equal. The Foundation is a philanthropic initiative that enables government, industry, and individuals to make contributions that have a far-reaching impact on students all over Queensland and beyond. One of the programs is the scholarship program for students with 2 types - merit base and access and equity. The funds collected under the 'Containers for Chang'e program are used to help fund part of the scholarship program. Several Robina Campus students are currently being sponsored.

The actual building design itself at Robina encourages a feeling of well-being. The journey starts from the moment an individual walks through the doors with key messages about sustainability. Students, staff, and visitors are immersed in the atrium setting. Every level has been themed, from the ocean floor on ground level, through to the canopy of the rainforest on Level 3 and the sky on Level 4. Entering the campus, the striking projected underwater images on the ceiling give a feeling of being immersed in a world committed to caring for the planet and sustainability. The appearance and feel of the campus positively impact health and wellbeing, and campus culture. The design fit-out, artworks by a local Indigenous artist, and recycled timber are standout features.

The intention is to integrate sustainability into all aspects of campus design and operations, resulting in flexible spaces and facilities enabled by state-of-the-art technology, transformative service delivery models, onsite live training facilities, and empowering students to be active global citizens. The result is a four-level, technology-enabled, multipurpose training space with breakout rooms, collaboration booths, and student areas.

Weekly lunchbox sessions and specialist events for staff and students are scheduled to help raise awareness, stimulate discussion, inform, and impact on practices used by each individual. Wellness sessions such as stress relief, breathing exercises, fitness, mental health, and diet have received positive feedback.

Students are supported with a range of student support services to help with their own well-being. These services range from learning support, counselling, and referrals to local support services, i.e. mental health, accommodation support, etc. The building of a community-based environment promotes a feeling of belonging.

Staff working at Robina can access additional support services via a Benestar provider, Mindarma programs, and access to specialist HR personnel.