Lockyer Valley household FOGO diversion

The Lockyer Valley household FOGO diversion project is a waste diversion initiative located at the Gatton Waste Disposal Facility, approximately 5km southwest of the town of Gatton and 90km west of Brisbane, Queensland. Registered in October 2023, the project operates within the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area. The specific project site at the landfill processes organic waste collected from households in the townships of Gatton and Laidley.

The project utilizes the Source Separated Organic Waste methodology. This method involves diverting organic material, specifically food organics and garden organics (FOGO), that would otherwise be sent to landfill. In a landfill, decomposing organic matter generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By separating this waste at the household level and processing it through a composting facility (in this case, an open windrow or static aerated system), the organic matter creates carbon dioxide instead of methane, significantly reducing the global warming potential of the emissions. The resulting compost is then used as a soil conditioner.

The Lockyer Valley region is renowned as "Australia's Salad Bowl," characterized by intensive horticulture, cropping, and grazing land uses. The area features some of the most fertile soils in the country, predominantly deep black alluvial clays and cracking clays, which are ideal for vegetable production. The local climate is classified as humid subtropical with high variability, often experiencing significant rainfall events followed by dry periods.

This project was established as a trial involving approximately 1,000 households. Uniquely, the Council established its own pilot composting facility using forced aeration (HEAPS) technology directly at the landfill site, rather than transporting waste to a distant commercial processor. The compost produced has been utilized in local parks and community spaces. It is worth noting that despite the environmental benefits, the Council announced the conclusion of this specific trial in mid-2025 due to high contamination rates in the bins and associated processing costs.