NEWS / BLOG

Rockhampton Regional Council: improving water quality Rockhampton Regional Council is responsive to the fact the Fitzroy River estuary is a vitally important waterway supporting an abundance of aquatic wildlife and provides significant recreational value to the local community. Historically, all of the effluent from Rockhampton’s three Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) was discharged to the Fitzroy River estuary. Implementation of the STP Strategy for Rockhampton over recent years has delivered a significant reduction in nitrogen released to the Fitzroy River estuary. The STP Strategy included the upgrading of the South Rockhampton STP through the installation of a new aeration system and dedicated anoxic zones to improve nitrogen removal. This upgrade work and the construction of a new pipeline enabled the ageing West Rockhampton STP to be decommissioned and its sewage inflow directed to the upgraded South Rockhampton STP. The completion of other renewal and upgrade works at the nearby North Rockhampton STP have also improved the performance of this STP. In addition to the upgrades mentioned, work is ongoing to complete the establishment of recycled water schemes and improved biosolids management at the North Rockhampton and South Rockhampton STPs. 90% reduction in ammonia released from South Rockhampton STP to estuary; Up to ~1,000 kg reduction in total Nitrogen released to the estuary each week [...]

FBA: a growing movement towards regenerative agriculture Central Queensland’s natural resource management champion, Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) works to support landholders to implement more sustainable practices that consider the triple bottom line – people, profit and the planet. With the agricultural industry subject to ongoing market and climate volatility, landholders are increasingly interested in alternative farming practices. Regenerative agriculture focuses on rebuilding, restoring and regenerating farming landscapes. Through improving soil microbiology, enhancing biodiversity on a broader scale, reducing chemical use for cleaner air and water, valuing social capital, respecting natural process, landholders ultimately produce more nutrient-dense food. FBA embarked on a peer-to-peer mentoring program off the back of two 2018 RegenAG Biofertiliser workshops. The workshops were delivered by regenerative agriculture expert, Kym Kruse from RegenAg®. The enthusiastic response to the events (and the underlying principles of regenerative agriculture) indicated a high demand locally for the natural and holistic way of farming. Facilitated by FBA’s Regional Landcare Agricultural Facilitator (RALF), Vicki Horstman and Kym Kruse, the peer-to-peer program quickly attracted participants. The project aimed to equip participants with the skills, tools and connections to succeed, and step away from traditional project delivery models. To this Kym said, “What we want to see is [...]

Cotton Australia: a sustainable cotton industry Sustainability for the Australian cotton industry means running profitable and efficient businesses while creating environmental, economic and social value. It also means being accountable to stakeholders for the industry’s actions and impacts. The Australian cotton industry has been actively working to do this for over 30 years. Now, the industry is seeking to improve even more as it works to its vision of being a global leader in sustainable cotton production. An Australian cotton sustainability framework called PLANET. PEOPLE. PADDOCK. has been created to guide work to: set sustainability targets in the areas most important to industry and stakeholders; coordinate a whole-of-industry strategy to achieve these targets; and engage effectively with stakeholders on actions and progress. Through a process of consultation and review, eight environmental, economic and social topics have been assessed as being most important to customers, cotton growers, industry organisations, regional communities and other stakeholders. Each topic aligns with relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In regards to waterway health and the environment, the topics of most importance include: water, less drops per crop; carbon, acting on climate change; biodiversity, benefiting from biodiversity; and pesticides, efficient responsible pesticide use. Australian cotton has the reputation of being the most [...]

Stanmore Coal: Reduce and reuse Stanmore Coal installed a new pumping system at its Isaac Plains processing plant in 2019 which uses mine-affected water instead of raw water, saving up to 200 megalitres of raw water per year. The pumping system assists in reducing the inventory of mine-affected water on the site, while also consuming around 1,000 tonnes of salt per year associated with the higher salinity mine water. Prior to the installation of the new pumping system, the Isaac Plains processing plant sourced water from external raw water suppliers to make-up for water  that remained in coal as a result of the washing process. After washing, the moisture content of coal is increased by around 5 per cent and this additional  moisture remains in the coal when it is exported.

Anglo American: Reducing freshwater use for sustainable mining Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business has commissioned the first of two planned reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plants at its Aquila project in the Bowen Basin, with the aim of reducing the use of freshwater in its mining operations. The Aquila project is an underground metallurgical coal mine currently under construction which will extend the life of Anglo American’s Grasstree underground mine near Middlemount in Central Queensland. Aquila is on track for first coal in early 2022 and will utilise the associated Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) on site – part of Anglo American’s Capcoal complex. The freshwater allocation is approximately 6.2 megalitres (ML) a day, which includes supplying water to the town of Middlemount*. In the RO process, water passes semi-permeable thin membranes with pores small enough to allow the water to flow through the membrane while rejecting larger particles or contaminants. At Aquila, the new RO plant filters mine affected water (MAW) - water already used in the mining process. This first plant is producing 2 ML of treated water per day for the construction of Aquila and the planned second RO treatment plant will produce 2.4 ML of treated water, [...]

BHP: A vision for a water secure world BHP’s vision is for a water secure world by 2030. This would be a world where water resources are conserved and resilient so they can continue to support healthy ecosystems, maintain cultural and spiritual values and sustain economic growth; where the human right to safe and accessible water and the traditional rights of Indigenous peoples are realised and upheld; and where water governance is effective and beneficial, ensuring communities and ecosystems thrive for future generations. BHP’s Water Stewardship Strategy was adopted in FY2017 to improve management of water, increase transparency and contribute to the resolution of shared water challenges. The strategy pillars are centred on: Value – Effectively value water in investment and operational decisions through integration into strategy, planning and evaluation frameworks. Risk – Embed processes and systems to effectively manage water-related risks and realise opportunities at a catchment level in the short and long-term. Disclosure – Transparently disclose water-related risks, management and performance at an operated asset level. Technology – Leverage technology solutions that drive a stepchange reduction in water-related risks, realise opportunities and deliver multiple benefits. Collective Action – Collaborate with stakeholders to improve regional water policy and catchment governance and address shared water challenges within the [...]