Cecilia’s Community Compost

Cecilia moved to Bondi in the 70s. With a keen interest in gardening. She’s
been cultivating every available nook and cranny of her outdoor space to
plant and grow things ever since. In a quick tour, she introduced me to a
range of native and non-native species that live in her garden, Warrigal
Greens, Kangaroo Apple, Davidson Plums, Lemon Myrtle to name a few.

Being a composter and worm farm enthusiast she decided to move her
compost bins and worm farms onto the median strip that runs along her
street. This she hoped may encourage the neighbours to use the bins by
adding their green waste to them. The idea came to her during the COVID-19
lockdown and restrictions when more free time opened the way for new
community-based ideas. In a short span of time, the compost bins grew to
seven and the worm farms multiplied.

Some people in the neighbourhood have responded positively to her
initiative and regularly bring their kitchen scraps and dispose of them in the
bins and even have added more compost bins. Although she is the main
carer, which means adding carbon to the greens and regular stirring of the
bins for aerobic decomposing and feeding the worms, there are also a few
residents who support the project and lend a hand every now and then. Her
local cafe/bakery, Organic Republic Bakery also brings down their waste
which sometimes can include large bags of coffee grounds and add them to
the mix.

Parts of the median strip on Warners Ave look well utilised for gardening
purposes. With the good number of plants and trees growing within this
small vicinity, Cecilia uses the compost and the worm tea to feed and
nourish the gardens, flowerbeds and the trees and shrubs in the shared
spaces. Although she is very happy with the results of her initiative so far but
she is still hoping more neighbours would come on board and add their own
compost bins and worm farms and then perhaps the rest of the median strip
would become a place where more black and brown gold is produced out of
the waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.