Office waste to be food for worms

Staff at Ngulla Training and Community Centre will be getting dirty in the coming months after receiving a Waste Authority grant to convert green office waste into fertiliser and soil booster via its worm farm.

As part of Bridging the Gap, the not-for-profit nursery will help Work For The Dole participants learn new skills while reducing landfill.

Manager Peter Bird said worm farms were better for the environment because they released less methane into the atmosphere, compared to compost.

Thanks to the $17,200 grant, Mr Bird said the centre could buy an air-conditioner to help keep the critters at a comfortable temperature of 27C and a grinder to churn the office green waste into an easy-to-digest pulp for the worms.

He said temperatures at the nursery could climb to more than 45C in summer, but with the addition of the new equipment, he could make a serious and highly-productive worm farm consisting of six long beds.

Mr Bird hoped the farm would create two part-time jobs for Work For The Dole recipients and in time create an additional two full-time positions.

"They will be responsible for feeding, monitoring and harvesting the worms, as well as office pick-up," he said.

Mr Bird said the project was designed to accommodate green waste from about 50 offices in the region and urged interested businesses to get in touch.

For more information, call 9550 1111.