Jimmy Kovak attends a Sydney public (State) school, and is falling behind in his studies, partly because of his love of soccer, and his part-time work producing compost from garbage he collects, and which he sells at a local hardware store.
His next door neighbor has an antipathy to the Kovaks, at least partly because of their nationality, and runs a spiteful campaign against the boy, resulting in confiscation of his compost bins, and other harassment.
His widowed mother is handicapped by her inability to recognize the Latin alphabet (presumably she can read Cyrillic perfectly), and is too embarrassed to seek help, so is forced to accept piece-work, sewing at slave wages.
Financial relief comes in the form of Sam Stevens, who recognizes the boy's ingenuity and offers him a contract to invent a chicken feeder.
Jimmy is made aware of oil pollution from a nearby outfall, and with a team of fellow students investigates its source and photographs the culprit in the act.