NEWS / BLOG

Kestrel Coal: Finding the balance in water management Kestrel Coal Resources (Kestrel) appreciates that clean water is a valuable and finite resource, particularly within the Fitzroy River Basin, where there are times of extreme under and over supply – the reality of droughts and flooding rains. These extremes can even occur within the same year, as in 2021 where the year commenced on the back of a number of below average wet seasons, but ended with a major flooding event in December. Managing water across the mine site through these extremes aims to find a balance between water usage, water storage and water release, depending on the conditions at the time. As an underground mine, Kestrel is also particularly aware of the surrounding groundwater system – as a resource for our neighbours, the interaction with surface waterways and Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems, and from deeper aquifers, as an operational and potential safety issue via management of water ingress into the mine. Kestrel Mine’s Water Management fundamentals include: Reducing Raw Water Usage Reverse Osmosis – Kestrel operates 2 x RO plants on site, with capacity for taking a combined feed of 125,000 L/hr of mine water, and producing [...]

BHP BMA: Water Resources Situational Analysis & Qld Indigenous Land Conservation Project Water Resources Situational Analysis To better understand shared water challenges and opportunities for collective action, BHP commissioned a Water Resources Situational Analysis (WRSA) prepared by Alluvium Consulting and the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals. The WRSA will be made publicly available in mid-2022 and will be a tool for all to use in planning and prioritising action throughout the catchment. Fifteen shared challenges were identified across the following categories: Integrated water resource planning and management; Participation and access of first nations to land and sea country; Water security for economic and social well-being; Data confidence and knowledge; and Water and catchment quality. The WRSA reports on consequences and causes of these shared challenges and identifies existing and future opportunities for collective action. Queensland Indigenous Land Conservation Project Queensland Indigenous Land Conservation Project (QILCP) led by Greening Australia and BHP/BMA, with project partners the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council and the Barada Barna Aboriginal Corporation aim to improve and maintain the whole catchment connected to the Great Barrier Reef by engaging, enabling, and empowering Traditional Owners and Indigenous Communities to care for Country. The QILCP has celebrated several achievement since April 2019 including: [...]

FBA: The Brownlie's journey a lesson for others Andrew and Tali Brownlie of Andalia Pastoral are quintessential next generation producers who have developed a taste for leveraging relationships and  resources to minimise risk and maximise return. Their success didn’t happen overnight, and their story is not dissimilar to other dynamic producers who’ve travelled a similar journey to arrive at the same destination. In fact, the Brownlies are an example of curious but interdependent operators who have accepted advice and guidance from FBA and other organisations, implemented what they learnt, made some mistakes along the way, and have come out on top. Part of FBA’s philosophy is to initially work in small increments, walking shoulder to shoulder with the land manager until they achieve a level of confidence that empowers them to investigate other initiatives and fund their own investments. Andrew and Tali took part in the Resource Consulting Services Grazing for Profit course, closely followed by a KLR Marketing workshop and then a Low Stress Stock handling program. Armed with new tools, formulas, planning skills and networks, the Brownlie’s looked at opportunities differently and assessed them with fresh eyes. FBA’s work with the Brownlies has been a team [...]

Cotton Australia, CRDC, ANSTO & UNSW: R&D the key to a sustainable cotton industry The Australian cotton industry has been managing on-farm sustainability for decades, underpinned by investments in research and development, the industry’s Best Management Practices program (myBMP), grower adoption of improved practices and innovation, and active participation in global sustainability programs. Today, Australian cotton growers produce more cotton on less land, with more efficient water use and with less impact on the environment than ever before. Through Cotton Australia and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), the industry has committed to undertaking: Sustainability reporting every five years against agreed targets (set over five-yearly intervals from 2019 to 2029 to align with the Australian Cotton Industry 2029 Vision). Stakeholder engagement on industry sustainability and opportunities for improvement, including via a formal stakeholder forum. Independent assessments of sustainability and environmental performance every 10 years. Sustainability in the industry is underpinned by strong R&D. For example a recent CRDC project with Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and University of NSW investigated the nitrogen cycle in rivers draining through cotton growing regions. The catchments included the Nogoa River a tributary of the Fitzroy River flowing towards the Great Barrier Reef near [...]

Sunwater: Rookwood Weir no barrier to fish movements When it becomes operational, Rookwood Weir will bolster Central Queensland’s water security. It will enable Lower Fitzroy landowners to transition to higher value agricultural land use and facilitate new industrial business opportunities. The landmark $367 million project is currently being built on the Fitzroy River, 66 kilometres south-west of Rockhampton. It is equally funded by the Queensland and Australian governments. During construction of the weir, every effort is being made to mitigate or offset potential impacts on the natural environment. These are detailed in the project’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP). Actions include plans to establish an environmental offset area adjacent to the Mackenzie River, with a mix of v vegetation to provide a range of fauna habitat, including sand banks for turtle nesting. Importantly, the offset area will also act as a large sediment trap, which will improve water quality in the Fitzroy River. A turtle passage ramp will be built into the weir, enabling the endangered Fitzroy River and white-throated snapping turtles to move upstream and downstream of the weir. A key environmental feature of Rookwood Weir will be its unique fish lock situated on the right bank that [...]

Queensland Government, RCS & CHRRUP: Improving grazing practices to reduce run-off to the Reef The Queensland Government, in partnership with Resource Consulting Services (RCS) and CHRRUP Limited, has been using different approaches to help  Fitzroy and Belyando graziers make best use of their pasture to improve land condition and water quality. Knowing that ’you need grass to grow grass’, CHRRUP’s innovative approach uses graziers as trainers who draw upon their pasture management experience. They have developed forage budgets for 30 landholders managing around 125,000 hectares. Forage budgets help graziers understand how much grass is available, how much should be left after grazing and how this can be achieved through managing stock numbers in paddocks. Landholders have valued the knowledge being shared by fellow land managers who use forage budgets on their own land and understand the benefits. The aim is to match the stocking rate to the land’s carrying capacity and leave the land in a state that will respond when rain falls. This helps keep the rain in the soil and the soil in the paddock, minimising runoff to local waterways that flow to the Reef. The Grassroots project centres on RCS’s extensive agricultural and educational experience. It [...]