A new publication is helping land and catchment managers to use household grass clippings, tree prunings and leaves collected by local councils to preserve Australia’s precious soils.
Developed by the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (DECC), Guidelines for Using Compost in Land Rehabilitation and Catchment Management provides a practical framework for promoting and implementing the use of composted mulches and soil conditioners.
The Guidelines are especially useful in designing erosion and sediment control works such as gully erosion and hill slope erosion; and in planning the rehabilitation of other degraded soil environments such as saline discharge areas.
The Guidelines are the result of successful trials to test the performance of compost in erosion control conducted by DECC, in partnership with NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and Compost NSW.
DECC is continuing demonstration trials in partnership with the Hunter / Central Rivers CMA and the Southern Rivers CMA.
Download a free copy of the Guidelines now (PDF, 651kb)
After kerbside collection by local governments recycled clean garden material is composted by professional processors and the materials are then used in a variety of ways to improve soils, help retain moisture and improve plant productivity.
Click for more information about composting.