Avid Sturt gardener, Desmond Kerr, experienced first hand the consequences of not having proper industry standardisation and labelling in place when it comes to compost products.
Mr Kerr purchased compost from a local distributor with a PH level that was dramatically higher than the neutral level of 7. Rather than aiding Mr Kerr’s plants to grow, this compost was not fit for purpose and began suffocating his plants, starving them of the nutrients they needed.
Unfortunately this isn’t an isolated case, many gardeners purchase compost only to find that it hinders growth rather than aiding it.
I moved a motion on Desmond Kerr’s behalf in the Federal Parliament calling on the Government to get moving on a nationally consistent compost standard and it passed a few months ago.
The Government is now obliged to act to address this issue and I will be writing to State and Federal Ministers seeking a timetable for action.
We all have a right to know what is in the compost we purchase, what the PH level of the compost is, and what we need to do to be able to ensure it assists our plants to grow to their full potential. The amount of hours Sturt gardeners spend in their back and front yards shouldn’t be in vain!
Do you live in Sturt and have an issue I can assist you with? Get in touch.
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