Biochar co design working group
Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG) convened a Biochar Working Group to investigate the potential for transforming organic waste, primarily from agriculture and forestry, into valuable products such as biochar, bioenergy, and pyroligneous acid.
Capacity building - LEP23 - 023_LLC_RK
The issue
The Biochar Cluster Group identified several complex challenges, including the need to align local organic waste streams with appropriate biochar production technologies and address technical, economic, and logistical feasibility. Key obstacles included securing funding for pilot trials and business case development, ensuring broad and sustained stakeholder engagement, and selecting a viable long-term business model. However, the initiative also presented significant opportunities: converting waste into valuable bio-products could improve air quality, sequester carbon, enhance soil health, and agricultural productivity and stimulate local job creation, particularly for First Nations people.
The solution
The group sought to position Barham as a leader in sustainable waste management and circular economy innovation. To progress the initiative, the group received funding support with the One Basin CRC via a Quickstart project, which supported early-stage planning and research. The group is now actively pursuing collaborative investment and research opportunities to advance biochar trials, explore additional climate-positive technologies, and help develop a regional innovation ecosystem.
The impact
The project fostered a collaborative co-design approach with a vision statement that lays the foundations for future project development encompassing circular economy, community wealth building and social enterprise principles to benefit the local community for future project development and investment.
Learnings
Vision Statement: ‘We envision a future where biochar innovation solves environmental problems and creates additional productive and economic value to primary industries and strengthens our community through partnerships, jobs and community wealth building outcomes’
Key facts
- • Four Biochar Cluster group meetings held.
- o 45 attendees
- o 26 Industries / businesses represented
- o 95 hrs of in-kind labour provided (85 direct meeting, 10 hrs preparation)