That’s the path the Banksia Park Bushcare Group at Cliff Drive, Katoomba, have taken.

Their site is conveniently located – it shares a boundary with the group co-ordinators’ home, Kerry and Adam. The group wants to reduce the amount of green waste generated by the large amount of Privet, Tutsan, Japanese honeysuckle, Agapanthus and Montbretia they deal with. As Kerry and Adam are keen composters themselves, the group decided they could combine enough garden and kitchen waste with the Bushcare group’s green waste to manage a large “hot compost” system. So, Adam and James spent the work day in January constructing the three-bin system shown below. James also has access to horse stables for straw and manure. Thus, by layering garden, kitchen, weeds, manure and straw the first bay was filled immediately!

The Gardening Australia website has some great fact sheets about how to build compost bins and how to compost. Check them out at:

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s972721.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s855732.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2280642.htm

If you don’t have access to the internet and/or would like hard copies of the fact sheets please contact Monica at the Bushcare Office on 4780 5528.