Auckland Council is proud to support the first composting pilot project in the city centre and waterfront.
The Viaduct Harbour Local Living Compost Hub is a creative and innovative scheme helping businesses work towards zero-waste.
The initiative will see six compost boxes, designed and supplied by New Zealand Box, installed behind Headquarters Restaurant at the Viaduct Harbour. Constructed from wood and steel, the boxes are durable, odour-free, vermin-proof and can be installed on any urban surface.
The Viaduct Local Living Compost Hub is a collaboration between Auckland Council, Viaduct Harbour, NZ Box and For the Love of Bees.
Auckland Council’s City Centre Place Activation team leader Barbara Holloway says the idea to have a 'functioning compost hub' at the Viaduct Harbour is an extension of the regenerative environmental learning centre that was until recently located at the former Griffiths Gardens site on Wellesley Street.
“This initiative demonstrates the potential for collaborative composting in any residential, commercial or city environment and it empowers local businesses to use commercial food waste to create compost that goes back into the food production cycle,” Barbara says.
“This new council-business collaboration is a perfect example of how we can all work together in the city centre context to achieve zero-waste outcomes.”
The council is investing $33,000 towards the project which is funded from the City Centre Targeted Rate and a further $25,000 is being contributed by the Tramco/Viaduct Harbour group.
The project will be officially launched on Tuesday 19 November with an eight-month feasibility study, which includes training local eateries to correctly use the composting system.
As a partner in the trial, For the Love of Bees is also providing advice and support to harbour businesses.
The first business to sign up for training is Hello Beasty, who began the induction process last week.
Compost produced by the trial will be used by local eateries to grow produce, as well as being donated to urban farms in the city.
