Lockyer Valley Regional Council, in partnership with the Queensland Government, has converted more than 400t of organic waste into soil conditioner as part of the Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) initiative.
Queensland Environment Minister, Meaghan Scanlon, said the State Government had provided $320,000 for Council to roll out more than 1,000 green bins across the community and test collection frequency, infrastructure types and community engagement methods.
“We want to see 80 per cent of waste in Queensland recovered by 2030. That’s why we partnered with Lockyer Valley Regional Council to trial FOGO and have now create a record $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund to drive sustainability,” Ms Scanlon said.
Lockyer Valley was one of three Queensland regions chosen to participate alongside Townsville and Rockhampton.
“In the Lockyer Valley, Council not only rolled out 1,000 green waste bins, they established their own temporary composting facility, using forced aeration technology, at the Council-owned landfill site,” Ms Scanlon said.
“During the trial, the council diverted hundreds of tonnes of food and organic waste from landfill and turned it into soil conditioner, which were used at community recreational facilities to keep the region’s public spaces and gardens healthy.”
The Queensland Government has now committed an additional $33,000 to the Council to conduct bin audits to assess the effectiveness of the trial methodology.
Ms Scanlon said during the Lockyer Valley trial the Council saved 768t³ of carbon emissions by diverting organic waste from landfill.
“This is equal to driving more than three million kilometres or 208 laps around Australia, and is a testament to the initiatives taken by LVRC to ensure the region and the environment benefitted as much as possible from the trial,” Ms Scanlon said.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor, Tanya Milligan, said the $320,000 grant had allowed the region to keep the momentum going, as a commitment to shaping the future of their region.
“In an astounding example of ‘you reap what you sow’, this trial has helped our community divert 400 tonnes of compostable waste from landfill – the equivalent weight of 77 elephants,” Mayor Milligan said.
The only Council in the FOGO trials to use a static aerated composting system and process the material themselves, Mayor Milligan said the Council had generated an end user product that has been used as a soil conditioner in local spaces.
The product is being used on community gardens and by local childcare centres and schools.
“Our Environment team have also been giving native tree saplings the best start to life by spreading nutrient-rich FOGO compost on the garden beds – yet another example of the fantastic benefits recycling and reusing waste brings to the community.
“Through the FOGO initiative, we’ve flipped the lens with our community – changing from an awareness focus to behaviour change –and FOGO gives residents the chance to see the tangible impacts of their hard work.”
