Hepburn Shire Council has received a $92,949 Circular Economy Organics Council Fund grant from the Victorian Government through Sustainability Victoria for its ‘Optimising compost quality for beneficial application’ project.
Council CEO, Bradley Thomas said the Council was proud to support actions that champion Victoria’s transition to a circular economy, and implementation of Council’s Sustainable Hepburn strategy.
“The project will enable Council to carry out a scientifically rigorous study of soil and tree health after applying compost generated from our organics collection to a range of Council-managed parks and open spaces,” said Mr Thomas.
“We will be working alongside Gaia Envirotech to optimise compost production at the Creswick Transfer Station to achieve the highest possible quality compost. An array of laboratory tests will be carried out on the compost and the soil.
“The soil in our parks and open spaces will be tested both before and after compost application to inform us of the beneficial microbial and chemical change in soil health achieved by applying compost.”
The study will inform a business case assessing different investment pathways for using the compost within Council’s operations, potential availability for residents, landcare groups and farmers in the Shire.
Part of the project will be the production of several short videos informing residents how their food and garden organics can be used to benefit the Shire and how important their collaboration is, particularly with avoiding contamination.
For more information on Circular Economy within the Hepburn Shire, visit Circular Economy Hepburn Shire Council.
