The Victorian Government has announced the allocation of $50,000 for a feasibility study of generation of sustainable energy from Ballarat’s organic waste in the 2011-12 Victorian State Budget.

 

"Organic waste when placed in landfill produces large amounts of greenhouse gases which can be used to provide clean electricity," Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said.

 

"Ballarat and other councils in the area do not currently provide residents with a centralised green waste collection system, but if we could affordably turn green waste into clean electricity, it may become cost-effective to collect the region's green waste and help reduce landfill." Mr Smith said.

 

The Victorian Coalition Government has allocated $50,000 in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget to investigate generating green power from Ballarat's green waste, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said.

 

In addition, a further $1 million has been announced to develop the “Living Ballarat” feasibility study for improving water retention and reclaiming throughout the city.

 

“Each year an estimated nine billion litres of water surplus to the environment’s needs runs off Ballarat’s roofs and impervious surfaces, equal to the city’s total water consumption.” Victorian Minister for Water Peter Walsh