A SUSTAINABLE future with reduced landfill is coming one step closer for the Port Stephens community, with the establishment of a funded maggot farm in Raymond Terrace.

An additional 33,000 tonnes of food waste will be diverted from landfill each year, reducing landfill emissions by almost 50,000 tonnes of CO-2 equivalent, thanks to the latest round of NSW Government funding for organics processing infrastructure.

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NSW Environment Minister James Griffin said a new, commercial scale maggot farm in Raymond Terrace that turns food waste into animal feed will receive part of the $2.3 million funding.

“Maggot-farming is one of many emerging technologies that can help us better manage our food waste, instead of sending it to landfill,” Mr Griffin said.

“This project will use black soldier fly larvae to process organic waste at the Suez Resource Recovery Park in the lower Hunter.

“This, along with additional mobile facilities, will process about 9,000 tonnes of food waste annually.”

Climate Action Port Stephens (CAPS) welcomed the introduction of commercial scale composting of organic waste, for livestock production and as a soil enhancer.

CAPS President Alisha Onslow said, “Reducing organic waste into landfill helps reduce methane production, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases and climate change.

“To have a major project using innovative technology here in Raymond Terrace is particularly pleasing.

“I hope that Port Stephens Council will implement systems so our residential and commercial organic wastes can be appropriately redirected away from landfill.”

Alisha said the local processing of organic waste using black soldier fly larvae for animal feed also saves on greenhouse gases.

“This may pave the way for future insect farms which have a much smaller ecological footprint than most livestock farms.

“I should add that if we each composted our own organic wastes, we could not only reduce emissions but also improve the soil in our gardens and pot plants,” she said.

Olympia Yarger, an Australian maggot farmer said, “Maggots consume food scraps for around twelve days and leave virtually no waste.”

Three other programs are being supported by the NSW Government’s Waste Less Recycle More Organics Infrastructure Large and Small (OILS) grants program.

“A plant that generates energy from food waste and produces a substance that can be used to improve soils will come to life thanks to a grant of more than $638,000 for Sydney Water.

“And organics processing facilities turning food waste into compost are being supported in Hay and Upper Hunter Shire Councils with $503,000 and $70,000 NSW Government funding respectively.”

Another eight projects have received $5 million from the NSW Government and matched funding from the Australian Government’s Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund.

Since 2013, the NSW Government has invested more than $42 million through its Waste Less Recycle More Organics Infrastructure Large and Small (OILS) grants program, increasing processing capacity for organics waste in NSW by 842,000 tonnes a year.

“Unfortunately in NSW, more than a third of the waste we send to landfill is food, and as that food decomposes, it creates emissions,” Mr Griffin said.

“These investments are supporting our commitment to halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill, and reach net zero emissions from organic waste in landfill by 2030.”

By Marian SAMPSON