SDG Detail

Nutrient reuse

Case study

Project description

In Kangaroo Valley NSW, the Chittick family operate a 140 hectare dairy that produces over 2 million litres of milk each year. At the lower end of the dairy, the effluent produced by the dairy�s 270 milking cows is managed by a pump and sump system with overflow captured by an effluent dam. The system was prone to breakdown due to the thick slurry and solid materials clogging the pump. �I�d have to go for a swim in the effluent dam each month!� Gavin said when explaining how he fixed the breakdown of the pump.� Understanding the system was problematic, so the Chittick family engaged a service provider to look at its efficiency and how they could improve it. The report was used as the basis for their next steps in creating a new more efficient system. The Chittick family also wanted a system that would make better use of the effluent as a fertiliser and would provide environmental benefits for the farm and the local community. Gavin Chittick decided to invest in a new effluent management system that would achieve these goals and so in 2019, applied for a Lion Dairy Pride Landcare Grant to assist in covering the associated costs. As a supplier to Lion, he was eligible to apply and his grant submission was successful.