Recycled tubs

[Lara BerryParticipant]

I am wondering if when food is delivered to the remote communities, is the food delivered in large ICB tubs that can be re-purposed?

[Luke BarbagalloKeymaster]

Hi Lara,

Thanks for the question! I’m making a few assumptions when answering your question, chiefly that you’re referring to IBC’s – Intermediate bulk carriers – that generally are around 1000 litres capacity?

We can confirm this with CfAT, but it’s unlikely that these would be present in remote communities as they generally require a forklift to move on and off of transport. This would not be available at remote range stations and communities.

What use did you have in mind for the IBC’s?

Luke

[Lara BerryParticipant]

Thanks Luke,

My first thought was grey water filtering into reed beds. Then I thought, if it floods it would all get washed out. So my ideas went to raised beds in something that would not be eaten by termites.

ICBs that can be cut in half make great wicking beds. Two purposes would be filtering the grey water and also providing vegie gardens. Also having it filter through a food compost would provide nutrient rich soil.

Another idea was recycled bath tubs from refuse tips if they can be shipped up there.

Can you also let me know if the idea of slow sand filtering has been raised for the Cape York communities in the past? I don’t want to spend a lot of time planning and researching if it’s been proposed previously.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Luke BarbagalloKeymaster]

Hi Lara,

Grey water systems that are flood resilient and off ground could be an interesting area of exploration, given the brief in project 5.5, however linking it with a wicking bed system raises a few questions;
– is there an interest/capacity for managing food grown in wicking beds? Can native bush foods be grown in this manner, or would it be western staples? Given that many of the sites are not occupied during the wet season, how viable/sustainable is growing food locally, and what should specifically be grown?

With regards to sand filtration, to my knowledge, this hasn’t come up previously in the challenge. Also, even if aerobic sand filtration has be recommended previously, that doesn’t mean that your team cannot pursue this path, as you may find a novel approach that is less energy intensive, uses less area or is cheaper to install.

The feasibility study that lives at this link explores aerobic sand filters in the context of ecotourism on the Peninsula. I’d recommend having read of this, as it could inform your understanding of gaps or opportunities in an aerobic sand filter in one the CfAT communities.
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=9d628fb4-ca40-49df-b6ee-acc21a2a25a5&subId=206699

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