Barwon Water - Golden Plains Shire SSOW

Barwon Water - Golden Plains Shire SSOW is a waste diversion project centered on the Golden Plains Shire region, which spans the area directly north-west of Geelong and approximately 80km west of Melbourne, Victoria. Registered in April 2025, the project focuses on diverting organic waste from landfill to a dedicated processing facility. While the collection area covers the Golden Plains municipality, the processing takes place at Barwon Water’s Regional Renewable Organics Network (RRON) facility, located at the Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant in Connewarre, roughly 20km south-east of Geelong.

The project operates under the Source Separated Organic Waste (SSOW) methodology. This framework credits the reduction of methane emissions achieved by separating eligible organic material, such as food and garden waste (FOGO), at the point of generation (households and businesses) rather than sending it to a mixed-waste landfill. The diverted waste is treated using enclosed composting or anaerobic digestion technologies. In this specific project, the organic material is converted into renewable energy (biogas) and nutrient-rich by-products like biochar and compost, preventing the release of methane that would have occurred in a traditional landfill.

The Golden Plains Shire region is predominantly defined by broad-acre agriculture, grazing, and cropping land use. Geographically, the area is known for its wide-open volcanic plains, characterized by fertile basalt and clay soils typical of Victoria’s Western District. The climate is generally temperate with a winter-dominant rainfall pattern.

A key feature of this project is its integration into the broader circular economy of the Barwon region. The waste diversion activity supports Golden Plains Shire’s transition to a FOGO collection service, which supplies the feedstock for the RRON facility. The facility not only destroys methane but also generates renewable electricity to power the water reclamation plant and produces biochar for use in local agriculture, effectively closing the loop on regional organic waste.