Fitzroy School pupils win AQA's Rock our Future schools competition

New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young, parent Mark Ford and AQA CEO Wayne Scott with the two groups of Fitzroy School pupils.

Two groups from Fitzroy School won the Aggregate and Quarry Association (AQA) Rock our Future schools competition.

The groups, called Little Eggs Inc group and Storm Industries, designed a quarry that could operate on renewable energy.

AQA ran the competition to mark their 50th anniversary.

AQA chief executive Wayne Scott says the entries from the Little Eggs Inc group and Storm Industries were the stand outs in the competition.

"They needed to generate 20,000 kilowatts an hour of power to run a quarry. Both proposed using solar, wind and water turbine power.

"The Little Eggs Inc group also researched the use of geothermal and tidal power but discounted these as impractical. Storm Industries proposed connecting the quarry to a gymnasium to recharge batteries off pedal power which we thought was a good piece of enthusiastic innovation."

As preparation, the pupils went to Vickers Quarries near Stratford.

The pupils visited Vickers Quarries to prepare for the AQA's Rock our Future schools competition.

"This was the first time I'm aware of that school children have visited a quarry to get information to support a Rock our Future competition," Wayne says.

"It was great to have Russell Vickers there to help welcome them. He's one of our industry patriarchs and his support for this initiative is a signal of how we need the next generations."

The groups won $1000 each for their school and members of each group also received a small cash prize and an earthmoving machinery model.