The Greater Bendigo City Council has voted to enter into a service agreement and lease with Western Composting Technology (WCT), to establish a circular economy in the region through a new food organics and garden organics (FOGO) processing and recirculation facility.
The facility will be situated next to the Bendigo Livestock Exchange in Huntly.
The move is a big step forward towards the establishment of a circular economy solution to process FOGO waste in Greater Bendigo.
At an earlier meeting on 20 April, Council provided in-principle support for the city to pursue circular economy solutions for the alternative management of two of the Council’s waste streams – organics and general waste – and asked staff to draft long-term contracts for the solutions.
One such solution was for the establishment of a privately-owned local composting site within 25km of Bendigo, to process up to 30,000t of food and garden organics each year and reduce emissions by 16.3 per cent, in comparison to current kerbside organics disposal arrangements.
The Greater Bendigo City Council Director of Presentation and Assets, Brian Westley, said six hectares of City-owned land adjacent to the Bendigo Livestock Exchange was deemed suitable for the development of such a facility.
“The establishment of such a facility would not impact on the Bendigo Livestock Exchange’s operations and is located in an area with adequate buffer zones already in place,” Mr Westley said.
“A proposed facility would replace the need for the City to cart its organic waste out of the region for treatment and would also have the capacity to support other regional composting needs.”
Mr Westley said Greater Bendigo is committed to transitioning to a circular economy in line with the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria Policy and the City’s new Climate Change and Environment Strategy 2021-2026.
“Circular economy solutions are proven to be more environmentally sustainable and financially beneficial compared to landfill and with the Eaglehawk Landfill due to reach capacity and become a full-time transfer station in 2023, the City is working to put in place circular economy solutions to manage waste and resources into the future and develop new economic opportunities for the region,” Mr Westley said.
“By putting circular economy solutions in place, there will be no impact on the Greater Bendigo community when the Eaglehawk Landfill reaches capacity and becomes a transfer station.”
