NATURAL RESOURCES TAKES A SEAT ON THE SMART TRAIN

The QUT Smart Train rolls into Brisbane’s Roma Street station tomorrow (Saturday June 14) with Natural Resources and Water a key feature.

Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said the rolling education and technology interactive exhibition is in Brisbane to end its five-week tour of 24 Queensland locations.

Included in the NRW section of the Smart Train is the Bligh Government’s Water: Learn it for life! initiative which has been proving popular with Queensland primary schools.

The program offers a comprehensive package of water education resources for Prep to Year 7. Included in the package is a giant classroom pick-a-path book Whizzy’s Incredible Journeys featuring cartoon character Whizzy the Water Drop.

The Water: Learn it for life! program has been profiled in some of the QUT Smart Train professional development sessions for teachers over the past five weeks.

Also on the Smart Train will be interactive games from Waterwatch Queensland for young visitors, while soil science and enterprise learning based around natural resource management also will feature.

"QUT describes this as is one of the State’s largest community outreach programs, having hosted over 90,000 visitors to date.

"It’s great to be a part of another exciting and worthwhile experience for the rural and regional communities around Queensland, and now Brisbane.

"The Smart Train aims to inform, demonstrate and stimulate community interest in innovation, science and technology and social issues by encompassing a wide range of knowledge-based areas and issues."

The QUT Smart Train will be stationed at Platform 3, Roma Street, from Saturday until Friday (June 14-20) 2008 and is open to the general public.