Local partnerships with Billabong Zoo repurpose seconds produce, spillage

Community connections, supported by a strong focus on sustainability, are to thank for Billabong Zoo’s latest environmentally-friendly initiative.

Some time ago, a woman from the Wauchope IGA approached Billabong Zoo about the potential to donate unsaleable produce – that partnership has since expanded, with more local businesses jumping on board to donate to the animals.

“The zoo owner’s would stop in at the supermarket to grab what they need and one day the worker approached them and asked if we had any use for seconds fruit, which of course we do,” Billabong Zoo’s Blake Stone said.

One of the Mid North Coast’s most popular tourist attractions, Billabong Zoo.

“We’ve had a relationship with them for a long time.

“Ken Little’s has also been helping us with produce for about 15 years now too.

“Then, when the Sovereign Hills IGA started up, they were happy to help as well.”

IGA also helps the zoo with leftover newspapers for display cages.

This repurposing helps recycle goods and minimise waste, which Mr Stone said is important to the zoo.

“We’re always trying to move in a sustainable direction, and it’s something we promote to our patrons too,” he said.

“The zoo is largely powered by solar, and we have water tanks situated everywhere so our animals can drink the rainwater they catch.”

What was originally an informal agreement between the storemen and Mr Stone, has since become official with supermarket management getting involved.

“For whatever reason, nuts are really expensive to buy – if you think about a bag you buy for yourself that might last a fortnight at home, we’re buying 10 or so of those every week,” Mr Stone explained.

“It gets pretty dear, so I wondered if there was a way our local donors could help out.”

Mr Stone asked his contacts if it was possible for the unusable nuts to be passed on to the zoo for bird feed, who pitched the idea to managers.

The Market Grocer’s area manager, Phil Sennett, was happy to donate spillage and seconds from their Western Sydney factory.

In just one week, 120kg of hazelnuts were delivered to Billabong Zoo for their new South American aviary, which was only just established prior to the most recent school holidays.

The cage is home to Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrots and Blue and Gold Macaws, with more birds to come.

Mr Sennett hopes the new partnership will help ease the financial burden of feeding the zoo’s animals.

Mr Sennett said management jumped on the opportunity to support the zoo, recognising the hardship Billabong Zoo has faced over the past couple of years due to Covid-19.

“You would assume we’re not going to go into another lockdown, but who knows, so it’s hard,” Mr Stone explained.

“But there’s been support from heaps of different avenues, including a number of generous offers from the local community – even through the lockdowns, we had people asking how they could help.

“There’s also been some assistance from funding and grants, and now this nut spillage partnership.

“There’s nothing like Billabong Zoo anywhere else on the Mid North Coast, so locals really don’t want to see another tourist attraction shut its doors.”