All things compost

Prominent gardening personality Costa Georgiadis has helped launch a series of community composting activities across western Victoria.

The bearded ABC television presenter was a guest at a Grampians region launch of International Compost Awareness Week, ICAW, Australia.

The launch was part of Grampians Grape Escape festival at Halls Gap at the weekend.

Georgiadis is an ICAW ambassador as well as the character ‘Captain Compost’ and host of Gardening Australia program.

Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group, which co-ordinates regional waste services for much of western Victoria, is using the week to promote a series of regional workshops.

Organisers are still confirming workshops but one is already scheduled for Rainbow on June 20.

They are also urging schools, community groups and individuals from Bacchus Marsh to the South Australian border to get involved in

the main feature of ICAW, Captain Compost’s Compost-a-thon.

The compost-a-thon is designed to encourage communities to interact beyond the week for three to four months to share success stories, ask questions and to learn about creating and using compost.

The waste group is promoting the week so people can get a greater understanding of the value of compost as a valuable organic resource.

Executive officer La Vergne Lehmann said composting could help reduce carbon pollution through the avoidance of landfilling organic materials and helping to build healthier soils.

“We were very excited to host the Grampians launch at the Grampians Grape Escape this year,” she said.

“We have held the workshops since 2017 and they have continued to be very popular.

“Demand this year has been even greater. Other workshops are still to be confirmed.”

Details of western Victorian workshops and demonstrations are available on the Grampians Central West website at www.recycling revolution.com.au.