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Byron Shire
March 27, 2024

What to do with the poo?

Latest News

Splendour 2024 cancelled

It's offical, Splendour in the Grass 2024 has been cancelled.

Other News

Urgent appeal

At last Thursday’s Byron Council meeting a long and dedicated campaign to save rail tracks and restore trains in...

Safety and preparation saves lives on the water

A large number of boaters are expected to hit the water over the Easter long weekend and Marine Rescue NSW is reminding boaters to be prepared and log on to the Marine Rescue NSW app.

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Why Being Seen is Beautiful

There is something profound about being seen. Being accepted and loved for exactly who you are. It’s life changing. It’s simple. It’s transformative. But some people don’t get to experience this. Nearly half of transgender Australians have attempted suicide.That data tells the very real impact of discrimination, stigma and lack of access to gender-affirming surgery. I write this as a woman who was born a woman, who identifies as a woman. I’ll admit, that even in that gender role, that fits within the societal binary, I’ve had my own challenges.

Premier yet to respond to Albo’s offer of disaster recovery funds

Northern Rivers community groups are renewing calls for the NSW premier to formally ask the Commonwealth to fully fund the region's 2022 disaster recovery.

Wild dog breeding season can increase attacks on domestic dogs

Local Land Services are reminding landowners to be aware of wild dogs as they have received five reports of domestic dogs being attacked and killed by wild dogs in the last two months.

Queer family visibility

Did you know that, statistically, if you’ve met a redhead, you’ve also met a trans person? Over 800 trans and gender diverse people live in the Byron Shire, which includes at least 200 children. They’re often a bit hidden though, so come on down and celebrate with them this Trans Day of Visibility!

Dr Dirk Erler at the Casino Wastewater Treatment Works. Photo supplied.

Australia has lagged behind the rest of the world in waste processing and Southern Cross University (SCU) is bringing Australia to the table. They are investigating new uses for human excrement and food processing waste while solving disposal issues.

SCU has received funding for a two-year project focusing on applying techniques such as pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion to dairy-processing solids (the dairy industry produces millions of litres of liquid organic wastes annually) and human waste in the northern rivers.

Pyrolysis, is the controlled combustion of organic material to produce biochar and combustible gases, and anaerobic digestion produces combustible methane.

Though they aren’t new technologies ‘there has been little application of these techniques by local industry,’ said project leader Dr Dirk Erler.

Given animal manures have been used as fertilisers for centuries, this project will also explore if the processed human excrement and dairy by-product have similar potential.

‘The project involves testing to see if heat-treated wastes have any agronomic benefit, or if we can strip nutrients such as phosphates from the wastes,’ said Dr Terry Rose from Southern Cross Plant Science.

‘At the moment farmers in the region spend significant amounts of money on fertilisers, where they should be getting it cheaply from the wastes being generated in other local industries.’

Methane could produce onsite electricity while biochar, a soil amendment product, could be used locally.

‘The aim of the project is to apply these technologies to see if they work, and then investigate ways of maximising energy and nutrient recapture,’ said Dr Erler.

$500,000 funding has come from the federal government’s Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment while Richmond Valley Council, NORCO, and Richmond Dairies have collectively contributed  $180,000 to the study.


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1 COMMENT

  1. Compress it into Bricks to use as Fuel in boilers etc
    By removing all moisture the solids would be a very good energy source.

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