Sunrise in Hervey Bay
Mike Parsons C-Wise’s production manager at the Nambeelup facility and fishing legend, has gone east for a week to assist QMulching with a biosolids trial they are running.
QMulching are located in Hervey Bay on the Fraser Coast north of Brisbane. Their basic business is clearing of trees and vegetation in front of developers. They do extensive work with councils, land developers and construction companies. The woody material from clearing is recovered, shredded and composted at their facility, which is part of the Fraser Coast Regional Council.
The facility operates using MAF technology for which C-Wise is the Australian distributor. This operates by sending pulses of air through the compost stack. The system allows precise control of oxygen, one of the most significant activators in the composting process.
QMulching process over 40,000 cubic metres per annum of green and other organic wastes and use 10 MAF units to convert this material into quality composted mulch products.
C-Wise’s Andy Gulliver has been working with QMulching for more than a year to date, guiding them through the successful integration of MAF into their green waste composting operation. QMulching have successfully turned a community green waste into desirable landscaping products where demand outstrips supply.
QMulching have just commenced a trial in conjunction with local Water Board to transform biosolids into a safe to use composted product. Biosolids are the treated solid wastes from the community waste water treatment plants. These wastes have been used in farming applications for many years. The current project aims to improve the recycling of biosolids. C-Wise has proven the technology to turn the community green waste and biosolids into a valuable resource for agriculture and amenity landscaping. Essentially biosolids are mixed with greenwaste and composted under closely monitored and controlled systems. One of the key steps is pasteurisation where internally generated heat kills pathogens, insects and weed seeds.
The C-Wise team is very experienced in safely processing a wide range of organic wastes for beneficial re-use. Mike was able to show the team at QMulching how to effectively blend the ingredients to ensure pasteurisation of all parts of the pile. The process also allows different suites of organisms to operate in their optimum range and perform their specific role in the breakdown of the material. During the process the wastes are converted into a carbon-rich soil improver that has multiple benefits for the soil.
Hervey Bay has a great reputation for its fishing so it comes as no surprise to those who know him that Mike has managed to work a few rods and lures into his luggage. I am told he disappeared at the end of every day to test the local waters. The big black bream in the Serpentine river are hoping he stays on the Queensland coast for as long as possible.
Neil and Jenelle Horne of QMulching
