In these times of environmental and financial challenges, not letting anything go to waste has become highly important.
Whether it’s food waste, green waste, or building materials, Council has initiatives in place that ensure that these resources can be converted into useful products.
The ‘circular economy’ ethos is on full display in a couple of great local projects, that I want to focus on.
The City is taking about 35,000 tonnes of garden waste from kerbside green bins each year, and converting it into Australian standard compost at a processing facility in Anakie.
This ensures the green waste doesn’t end up in landfill, and we create a high-quality product that can benefit public spaces and private backyards.
To expose more green thumbs to the compost – and to help promote our wonderful community gardens – we held a Free Autumn Compost Giveaway last Saturday.
Community gardens in Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads, as well as Ocean Grove’s Surfside Primary School, were among the sites offering the compost for the community for free.
The compost is of exceptional quality, and it was inspiring to learn so many residents embraced this opportunity to support sustainability and local food production.
The City-made compost is also available for purchase at the following local outlets:
• Wallington’s Water Rural Garden, 370 Grubb Rd, Wallington
• South Point Garden Supplies, 15 Boneyards Ave, Torquay
• Elcho Garden Supplies, 180 Elcho Rd, Lara
Did you know there are more than 80,000 olive trees within 60km of Geelong? And this is not counting residential and small hobby groves.
Large trees produce between 10 and 50 kilograms of olives.
However, with businesses needing at least 1000 kilograms to press oil, many residents have been unable to find a commercial use for their olives.
Using a Council Environmental Sustainability Grant, the volunteer-run Barwon Oil Barons community group stepped into find a clever and creative solution.
On Sunday 28 May, community members can take their olives to drop-off locations.
The fruit will be weighed and transported to Mt Moriac Olives, where it will be aggregated.
Geelong Region Olives will then organise processing, and participants can later collect their oil.
This is a great sustainability initiative that is making the most of the resources we have in our community.
You can find more information and book a drop-off time here:
Ocean Grove: eventbrite.com.au/e/627880827457
Belmont: eventbrite.com.au/e/632178612247
Norlane: eventbrite.com.au/e/632180076627
From the south to the north, Council has many exciting projects happening across the Bellarine.
In the Proposed 2023-24 Budget, Council has allocated more than $5 million over three years to transform Devlins Road Reserve in Ocean Grove.
This will help build a pavilion, sports fields, sports lighting, and other infrastructure.
Further afield, we’re continuing our development of the Drysdale Sporting Precinct Master Plan.
A total of $13.4 million has been allocated over the next two years towards the second stage of the project.
This next phase includes more sports fields with lighting, a sports pavilion and extra car parking.
Meanwhile, works in later stages will include additional car parking, netball courts, a playground, and sealed paths.
And up in Clifton Springs, construction has begun on the Beacon Point Shared Trail, and I was delighted to recently view the progress.
Stretching from Cantata Way along the cliff’s edge to Beacon Point Reserve and continuing south to High Ridge Drive, this trail will offer mesmerising 180-degree views of Port Phillip Bay.
The trail is jointly funded by Council ($180,000) and the Victorian government ($360,000).
Construction works are progressing well, and I cannot wait to see our community and visitors enjoy this addition to our shared trails network.
