LIVERPOOL
FOGO is a Go-Go In this issue
3D-printed Nest Box Initiative
Georges Riverkeeper
Solar Battery Savings
Responsible Ganesh Immersion
ERP/Childcare Initiatives
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR
Welcome to the Sustaining Liverpool Winter Edition.
This issue is filled with inspiring stories of how our community continues to embrace sustainability with energy and purpose.
From the record-breaking Canoe & CleanUp at Chipping Norton Lake to the hands-on education of preschoolers building Frog Hotels, it’s heartening to see so many residents of all ages working together to protect our local environment.
Our innovative 3D-printed nest box initiative and the rollout of FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) from July highlight how Liverpool is leading with smart, sustainable solutions.
These stories are more than just updates— they’re invitations.
I encourage you to join a community planting day, volunteer for bushcare, take part in responsible cultural celebrations, or make your home more energy-efficient through the new solar battery program.
Every small action contributes to a greener, healthier Liverpool. Let’s keep working together to ensure our city thrives for future generations.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our environment.
What would you like to see more of in Sustaining Liverpool?
welcome your ideasemail us at:
To reduce our carbon footprint, the Sustaining Liverpool newsletter is delivered in digital format. To receive the latest Sustaining Liverpool e-newsletter send us an email
Mayor Ned Mannoun
FOGO is a Food Organics and Garden Organics recycling service that turns the contents of your green bin into compost!
From 7 July 2025, Liverpool Council residents who have their own set of bins will be able to dispose of food scraps in the green-lidded bin. All Councils in NSW are required by the State Government to provide a food recycling service by 2030.
BIG CHANGES COMING TO YOUR BINS
From 7 July 2025, you’ll be putting food scraps into your green bin.
To help out, we are giving you a small caddy + compostable caddy liners to keep in your kitchen.
Your green bin will be picked up WEEKLY!
WHAT GOES IN YOUR CADDY:
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Expired food & leftovers (unpackaged)
Meat scraps and small bones Eggs and eggshells
Cheese and dairy products Bread, pasta, rice, cereal and legumes
Coffee grounds & loose tea leaves (tea bags are not suitable)
Grass clippings, leaves, twigs and small branches, flowers, weeds, prunings
For more information, visit www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/FOGO or scan the QR code
Bushcare Making homes for local wildlife
Council partnered with the University of Melbourne to host two public workshops building 3D-printed nest boxes for local wildlife. Led by PhD candidate Dan Parker from the University’s Faculty of Architecture, attendees used 3D-printed wood-filament blocks to construct habitat hollows tailored to specific species, factoring in features like size, landing pads, and feeding tunnels.
In Australia, many animals depend on tree hollows for shelter, nesting, and survival. But with mature trees increasingly rare in urban areas, artificial hollows offer vital alternatives.
Volunteers helped build a custom box for a displaced sugar glider, rescued from a roaming cat by Sydney Wildlife Rescue. The young glider was later safely released back to a local colony. Its new hollow nest box will soon be installed nearby – offering essential shelter and supporting the survival of this incredible native species.
Join our enthusiastic volunteers who beautify local parks and bushland areas by removing weeds and litter and planting native plants. Meet like-minded people, learn about the environment and create habitat for local wildlife.
The Environment Restoration Plan (ERP) is a levy funded through your rates which provides a framework for environmental programs and on-ground works to improve the natural environment of Liver
Areas across Liverpool are being progressively restored by enthusiastic volunteers. You don’t need to have any special skills or knowledge to be an environment volunteer. All you need is enthusiasm for improving your local area.
There are different ways to be involved depending on the amount of time you are able to commit.
Restoration Plan team on discuss volunteering opportunities.
Georges Riverkeeper wins grant to
Georges Riverkeeper has secured an $899,198 grant to restore riparian ecosystems across the Georges River catchment at four sites including Riverside Reserve in Chipping Norton.
Located on the banks of the Georges River at Chipping Norton, Riverside Reserve contains one of the largest remaining areas of endangered River-flat Forest in the Georges River catchment. While it has high ecological resilience, it is currently threatened by invasive weeds, particularly lantana. The reserve is also home to transplanted plots of the endangered Hibbertia sp. Bankstown, relocated from Bankstown Airport.
The project will expand areas of high-quality bushland in the 3.72ha worksite by gradually removing lantana and other invasive plants, allowing native vegetation to regenerate over a 3 year timeframe.
Community comes together to clean Chipping Norton Lake in canoe & clean-up effort
Georges Riverkeeper and Liverpool City Council is proud to acknowledge and thank the incredible 49 people who took part in the Chipping Norton Lake Canoe & Clean-Up event on Saturday 12 April 2025. The group removed an estimated 355 kilograms of litter from the lake and its surrounding environment. This was a new record for a Georges Riverkeeper community clean up event!
This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust under the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, with the support of Georges Riverkeeper and Bayside Council, Fairfield City Council, Georges River Council and Liverpool City Council.
For more info, click here
The event is part of Georges Riverkeeper’s ongoing effort to combat plastic pollution and promote community commitment to protecting our waterways.
Georges Riverkeeper Program Manager, Nell Graham, said “Congratulations and thank you to the dedicated community members who paddled out or walked the shores to help clean up Chipping Norton Lake. When dozens of people come together like this, to show pride in their environment and remove litter, it’s a powerful message that the health of our rivers is everyone’s responsibility.”
Graham stressed “Plastic waste is a persistent problem—it doesn’t decompose, it breaks into smaller
microplastics that harm river health and wildlife and eventually human health. Our local councils do a good job of maintaining public spaces, but unfortunately, litter often ends up in places that are hard to reach or outside routine maintenance— like bushland and waterways. Community clean-ups like this one help tackle the problem where it’s hardest to reach.”
Organised by Georges Riverkeeper in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and River Canoe Club, the event was also supported by Greater Sydney Landcare.
This initiative is just one part of Georges Riverkeeper’s broader mission. On behalf of seven local councils along the Georges River, the organisation runs programs focused on water quality monitoring, litter removal and prevention, bush and creek regeneration, stormwater advocacy, and community education. Georges Riverkeeper is currently hosted by Liverpool City Council.
For more photos of the event, click here
restore Riverside Reserve, Chipping Norton www.georgesriver.org.au
Solar Battery Savings
For Households and Small Businesses from 1 July 2025
If you have solar panels, or are thinking about installing a solar system, you may be eligible for a battery discount to store your solar energy for use at night. From 1 July 2025, households and small businesses may be eligible for around 30% off the upfront cost of installing a small-scale battery for both new and existing solar systems.
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is aimed at making solar batteries more affordable, reducing energy costs and emissions.
To find out more information about the Australian Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, including whether you are eligible and how to apply, click here
Responsible Ganesh Immersion
Ganesh Chaturthi, a joyous festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, traditionally concludes with the immersion (visarjan) of idols in rivers or lakes. While spiritually significant, this practice can harm the environment. To address this, Sewa Australia Inc., Sahyadri Sydney, and Friends of India, in partnership with Liverpool City Council, launched the Respectful Devotion, Responsible Immersion campaign last year.
The initiative transformed Haigh Park into a sustainable submersion site with a temporary pond and eco-friendly resources. More than 15 volunteers from Sahyadri Sydney and Sewa Australia managed the site, while Liverpool City Council provided support and organic waste bins. The site welcomed over 500 community members and facilitated the immersion of 150 Ganesha idols in the temporary pond, diverting more than 100 kg of clay from polluting the Georges River. Additionally, around 500 kg of organic waste was successfully redirected to proper composting facilities.
The event concluded with a community cleanup at Satyam Ghaat, symbolising unity and environmental care. As the first initiative of its kind in the area, it set a powerful example of how cultural celebrations can be both respectful and sustainable. The team looks forward to continuing this tradition in 2025.
For their efforts, the Respectful Devotion, Responsible Immersion organisers were the recipients of Liverpool City Council’s Fraser Environment Award presented earlier this year at Council’s Australia Day Ceremony.
Environmental Restoration Project
Visit Casula Preschool
Last month, the Environment Team visited Casula Preschool to deliver a special hands-on learning program. The session focused on the importance of habitat conservation and how we can respectfully share our environment with native wildlife.
The preschoolers eagerly took part in a series of fun and educational activities designed to foster a love for nature. With guidance from the team, they helped create Lizard Logs, special wooden shelters designed to provide safe, warm spots for sun-loving lizards to bask. They also constructed Frog Hotels, which are water-friendly structures that offer refuge for tree frogs and other amphibians in urban spaces.
Finally, the children helped establish a sensory garden
filled with native plants, chosen for their unique textures and fragrances.
The day was a joyful and enriching experience for all, planting seeds of environmental stewardship in the youngest members of our community.
Did you know?
Liverpool City Council is offering free collection of loose bonded asbestos fibro sheeting for Liverpool residents. Council’s free residential asbestos pick up program runs twice a year.
Terms and Conditions*
• Only available for eligible Liverpool City Council residents
• Number of households strictly limited
• Up to 10m2 of bonded asbestos
• Asbestos will be collected by licenced asbestos contractors *
