Dulverton Waste Management has sought approval for a $5 million upgrade of its composting operation near Railton in Tasmania, to provide best-practice leachate and odour control.
The facility is the state’s largest, with capacity to divert up to 40,000 tonnes of organic material from landfill each year. Compost is created from the green waste of the Cradle Coast region’s councils and industry organics from across Tasmania.
The final product is sold to farmers and home gardeners.If it goes ahead, the project creates the potential for DWM to process new types of industry and municipal waste, including food and garden organics (FOGO) collected at the residential kerbside. Although permitted under the facility’s current EPA licence, FOGO composting has not been undertaken at the site yet because of limitations with its existing open-air windrow system.
The company has applied to construct an industrial compost cover measuring 120m wide and 180m long. The design includes aeration and water management systems to aid the composting process, including the effects of rain.
The plan complements DWM’s recent purchase of a $1 million custom-built windrow turner (pictured) – a machine with built-in irrigation that churns through dense compost piles, saving hours compared to previous processing operations.
DWM CEO, Mat Greskie, who is also President of IPWEA Australasia, said arrival of the windrow turning machine has improved environmental outcomes for the community.
“The ability to precisely control the moisture level in a compost pile and provide better aeration through complete windrow turning improves the natural decomposition process,” said Greskie.
“Our plans are designed to improve how we make compost and don’t alter what is permitted under the facility’s existing EPA licence.
“Construction of the industrial cover is the next step in our vision to transform the facility into an entirely enclosed, in-vessel pasteurised compost system delivering full odour-control. This is a large-scale program to divert waste from landfill that will benefit Tasmanian industry and the environment,” said Greskie.