Hobsons Bay’s CEO Bill Jaboor with MP Bernie Finn. 73042 Picture: Vanessa Chircop
By Vanessa Chircop
THE State Government will pay 50 per cent of the cost of a new beach cleaning machine to collect seaweed at Altona beach.
Member for Western Metropolitan Region, Bernie Finn made the announcement last Thursday on behalf of the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith.
Mr Finn said the decision was a good result for the council and residents right across the western suburbs who make use of the beach.
The new machine is expected to improve seaweed removal efficiency and allow seaweed to be recycled in a sustainable manner.
“The current seaweed collection method picks up too much sand to enable efficient recycling to take place,” Mr Finn said.
“The new machine will separate sand from seaweed on Altona beach providing a product that can be used for recycling purposes.
“The beach cleaning machine will reduce the cost of seaweed disposal by reducing the amount of material going to landfill and the amount of beach sand removed in the cleaning process.”
Hobsons Bay CEO Bill Jaboor said the government’s decision to contribute $43,780 in funding to the machine was a great result.
“We hope it (the machine) is successful so other bayside councils can adopt the technology,” he said.
In September, 217 tonnes of seaweed was removed from Altona beach and disposed in landfill.
The machine will allow collected seaweed to be recycled and used as fertiliser.
