The City has partnered with Barwon Water and five other local councils to transform food, garden and commercial organic waste into renewable energy and nutrient-rich products for agriculture.
More information can be found via project lead Barwon Water.
Deputy Mayor Trent Sullivan:
We are really excited about the potential of the Regional RON and are pleased that the early plans can be shared with the community.
This is a great example of local authorities working together to deliver a clever and creative solution at a scale that will have a meaningful and widespread impact.
Barwon Water has already had success with this type of facility with commercial partners in Colac, so we know that it will have significant financial and environmental benefits.
Councillor Belinda Moloney, Chair of the Circular Economy portfolio:
A sustainable organics processing facility meets so many of our immediate and longer-term aspirations.
It will help us develop our circular economy, provide large cuts to carbon emissions, reduce our energy and waste costs and create long-term jobs in the region.
Along with a range of other initiatives in the sustainability space, we are moving quickly to provide the best outcomes for our people, environment and the economy.
All project partners are keen to hear the community’s views as Barwon Water moves to finalise the design and other technical aspects of the facility.
Background:
Council has a sustainability target of diverting all household waste from landfill by 2030-31. A key feature of this will be a municipal-wide food waste collection service.
A weekly household collection trial will begin in November 2021. The 12-month trial will be evaluated in late 2022, before the service is gradually introduced to further areas in 2023.
The service is expected to be rolled out across Greater Geelong by early 2024. It is our aim that the food waste be processed at the RRON when it becomes operational in 2024.
Garden organics will continue to be processed at our Staceys Road, Lara facility.
