The Living Classroom
The Living Classroom is turning 150 hectares of little used town common into a food production wonderland. Combining agricultural activities with horticulture, aquaculture and forestry, the Living Classroom is focused on quality food and the links between soil health, plant health, animal health and human health.
The site is for the casual visitor and for those who wish to learn, a beautiful place to wander around, soak up nature, be inspired, or to ‘get down and dirty’. Bingara is utilising The Living Classroom to become a ‘closed loop’ community – self-sufficient in food and recycling all compostable waste (including treated sewage). The project is a model for regeneration of agriculture and for rural communities. It will enable the town of Bingara to prosper in a rapidly changing world.
The Living Classroom Ethos
Bingara’s Living Classroom is pivotal to Bingara’s own regeneration. While being situated at the heart of one of Australia’s most productive agricultural and educational regions, Bingara exists on a knife-edge like so many other rural towns.
TLC is key to the four pillars of Bingara’s future economic prosperity - agribusiness, education, tourism and conferencing and has created a visually beautiful and natural wonderland which showcases and demonstrate the future and wonder of food, from the soil up to paddock, to our plates and then back again. It aims to provide inspiration and know-how for the next generation of farmers and the regeneration of rural communities.
To fulfill this purpose 150 hectares of degraded town Common, located on the outskirts of Bingara was fully regenerated into a highly productive forest of food by combining a wide range of complementary agricultural activities with horticulture, aquaculture and forestry. The synergy between these activities is key to nutrition, productivity, profitability, health and the natural environment.
This work is an exercise in broad collaboration and integration, being designed and created by the collective efforts of the many participants of the modern food system as well as harnessing the best knowledge from traditional through to scientific and other contemporary farming methods.
The Living Classroom in Bingara is a part of the Gwydir Learning Region program conducted by Gwydir Shire Council.
The Primary Industries Trade Training Centre at TLC forms part of three TTC’s within Gwydir Shire and is used by local schools as well as many across NSW and Queensland and several Universities.
STEM in Agriculture focuses on preparing students for the exciting work prospects linking our agriculture with science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Conference and Accommodation Facilities
The Living Classroom is available for meetings, weddings, workshops and private function hire and features audio/visual, kitchen and BBQ facilities, and bunkhouse accommodation. The bunkhouse sleeps up to 28 people and has two double bedrooms complete with kitchenette and ensuite and four bunk rooms which each sleep 6 guests with access to shared amenities.
Facility bookings:
Bingara Visitor Information Centre
Tel: 02 6724 0066 | Mob: 0400 826 551
Email: bingaratourism@gwydir.nsw.gov.au