Recycling our Autumn Leaves

Any gardener would be envious of the size of Council’s compost heap!

Instead of paying the cost of dumping all the leaves that fall from the trees in our main parks, Council’s gardeners use them to generate rich and nutritious compost which feeds the garden beds of Pollard Park and Seymour Square.

It saves buying 50 or 60 cubic metres of compost each season, it saves dumping costs and it’s good ‘green’ gardening practice.

The Council compost pit, tucked out of sight at Waterlea, allows for the rotting and screening of the autumn leaf fall – a four year process.

With a pile that’s as big as a small house, it’s easy to see why Council sees it as a better option than dumping or burning.

Head gardener Brad Molony says blood and bone and a bit of lime is added to sweeten up the mix.

The biggest challenge is keeping enough moisture going into the enormous pile to keep the rotting process going - though last year’s wet winter was good for breaking everything down, he says.