2015 MLRC - Poster Presenters
Gordon Fraser
Regional Coordinator – Clean Energy - Hunter and Central Coast
Regional Operations Group
Office of Environment and Heritage
Newcastle NSW 2300
E: [email protected]
W: www.environment.nsw.gov.au
Gordon Fraser works as a Clean Energy Coordinator for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. He has a Degree in Resource and Coastal Management, Post Graduate qualifications in Education and has been a University Lecturer in Resource Efficiency and Ethics and Sustainability.
Gordon has received multiple awards for his ground-breaking work over thirty-five years for State, Local and Federal Government and private enterprise in renewable energy, waste management, resource efficiency, sustainability and community capacity building. Some of these include: Southern Cross University, Alumnus of the Year; APN Sustainability Champion; LGSA NSW Excellence in the Environment Award.
Abstract
To identify and discuss opportunities for and barriers to re-use of mined landscapes for generation of renewable energy
To identify and discuss opportunities for and barriers to re-use of mined landscapes for generation of renewable energy.
Questions to be investigated:
Can mined land be used to host renewable energy assets such as large scale solar arrays, wind turbines, biomass processing plants?
Can biomass growth and harvesting be conducted on a regenerative basis on mined landscapes?
Is there a role for mine site generated renewable energy in mining operations?
What technical or other barriers are there to co-location?
Does renewable energy asset installation constitute mine site rehabilitation?
Can mine site end use for hosting renewable energy assets be effectively incorporated into mine site design, operations and management?
Has this been done before and what were the lessons from those experiences?
Outcomes:
Aggregate group interaction and all information provided
Share group developed information to Conference delegates in rapporteur session and circulate after conference
Gather a list of names and contact details for building a possible project team for further work
Regional Coordinator – Clean Energy - Hunter and Central Coast
Regional Operations Group
Office of Environment and Heritage
Newcastle NSW 2300
E: [email protected]
W: www.environment.nsw.gov.au
Gordon Fraser works as a Clean Energy Coordinator for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. He has a Degree in Resource and Coastal Management, Post Graduate qualifications in Education and has been a University Lecturer in Resource Efficiency and Ethics and Sustainability.
Gordon has received multiple awards for his ground-breaking work over thirty-five years for State, Local and Federal Government and private enterprise in renewable energy, waste management, resource efficiency, sustainability and community capacity building. Some of these include: Southern Cross University, Alumnus of the Year; APN Sustainability Champion; LGSA NSW Excellence in the Environment Award.
Abstract
To identify and discuss opportunities for and barriers to re-use of mined landscapes for generation of renewable energy
To identify and discuss opportunities for and barriers to re-use of mined landscapes for generation of renewable energy.
Questions to be investigated:
Can mined land be used to host renewable energy assets such as large scale solar arrays, wind turbines, biomass processing plants?
Can biomass growth and harvesting be conducted on a regenerative basis on mined landscapes?
Is there a role for mine site generated renewable energy in mining operations?
What technical or other barriers are there to co-location?
Does renewable energy asset installation constitute mine site rehabilitation?
Can mine site end use for hosting renewable energy assets be effectively incorporated into mine site design, operations and management?
Has this been done before and what were the lessons from those experiences?
Outcomes:
Aggregate group interaction and all information provided
Share group developed information to Conference delegates in rapporteur session and circulate after conference
Gather a list of names and contact details for building a possible project team for further work
Joe Herbertson
Principal, The Crucible Group
Phone: +61 (2) 408 598 856
E: [email protected]
Joe is a founding Director of The Crucible Group Pty Ltd, a Newcastle based technology development company, which has taken the Continuous Biomass Converter to the commercial stage. He graduated in Metallurgy from the University of New South Wales and received his PhD from Imperial College, London. His industrial experience as a researcher was with British Steel and BHP. He was General Manager Research BHP Steel and also head of the Central Research Laboratories, located in Newcastle but serving the global operations of the company. He later developed a consulting practice, in conjunction with The Natural Step, with a focus on sustainability driven innovation.
Abstract
Resource Recovery and Clean Energy through Innovation and Regional Collaboration
Delta Electricity, Summerhill Waste Management Centre (Newcastle Council) and the Crucible Group are working together to create new opportunities for wood waste resource recovery and the generation of clean, renewable, base load energy, as well as agricultural co-products. Once proven in the Hunter, the innovation will have an impact around Australia and beyond. The Crucible Group’s Continuous Biomass Converter technology (CBC) produces char, gas and water products in an efficient and novel reactor, using woody wastes and residues as the principal feedstocks. An industrial demonstration plant has been established at Vales Point. CBC char and gas can be used for coal and natural gas substitution in the power, cement and steelmaking sectors. CBC water, also known as wood vinegar, has beneficial uses in agriculture, as does the char. This presentation will provide an introduction to the CBC technology and the activities at Vales Point, including tonnage char co-firing trials at the Delta Electricity power station. It will highlight the role of Summerhill in sourcing wood wastes and preparing them for CBC processing. As part of this initiative, Laminex is recovering engineered timber wastes from their customers’ factories. The project is being conducted in close cooperation with the NSW EPA and the Office of Environment and Heritage, with its advocacy of industrial ecology and the circular economy. The presentation will emphasise the collaboration that has emerged among businesses in the region, facilitated by the Sustainability Advantage program.
Principal, The Crucible Group
Phone: +61 (2) 408 598 856
E: [email protected]
Joe is a founding Director of The Crucible Group Pty Ltd, a Newcastle based technology development company, which has taken the Continuous Biomass Converter to the commercial stage. He graduated in Metallurgy from the University of New South Wales and received his PhD from Imperial College, London. His industrial experience as a researcher was with British Steel and BHP. He was General Manager Research BHP Steel and also head of the Central Research Laboratories, located in Newcastle but serving the global operations of the company. He later developed a consulting practice, in conjunction with The Natural Step, with a focus on sustainability driven innovation.
Abstract
Resource Recovery and Clean Energy through Innovation and Regional Collaboration
Delta Electricity, Summerhill Waste Management Centre (Newcastle Council) and the Crucible Group are working together to create new opportunities for wood waste resource recovery and the generation of clean, renewable, base load energy, as well as agricultural co-products. Once proven in the Hunter, the innovation will have an impact around Australia and beyond. The Crucible Group’s Continuous Biomass Converter technology (CBC) produces char, gas and water products in an efficient and novel reactor, using woody wastes and residues as the principal feedstocks. An industrial demonstration plant has been established at Vales Point. CBC char and gas can be used for coal and natural gas substitution in the power, cement and steelmaking sectors. CBC water, also known as wood vinegar, has beneficial uses in agriculture, as does the char. This presentation will provide an introduction to the CBC technology and the activities at Vales Point, including tonnage char co-firing trials at the Delta Electricity power station. It will highlight the role of Summerhill in sourcing wood wastes and preparing them for CBC processing. As part of this initiative, Laminex is recovering engineered timber wastes from their customers’ factories. The project is being conducted in close cooperation with the NSW EPA and the Office of Environment and Heritage, with its advocacy of industrial ecology and the circular economy. The presentation will emphasise the collaboration that has emerged among businesses in the region, facilitated by the Sustainability Advantage program.
Kate Newman
Centre for Plant Science, University of Newcastle, University Drive
Callaghan NSW 2308
T: +61 7 3346 4065 │ F: +61 7 3346 4056
E: [email protected]
Kate is currently a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at the University of Newcastle. She is investigating organic and microbial amendment of mine spoil for rehabilitating native vegetation communities following open cut coal mining. Kate has worked in public and private sectors in the Hunter for over 10 years. Her roles encompassed vegetation assessment, natural resource compliance, site remediation, environmental impact assessment and land use planning.
Abstract
Can microbes and organic matter ameliorate spoil?
K. Newman1, Y. Nussbaumer1, M. Cole3, C. Daynes2, T. Mukasa-Mugerwa2, P. McGee2, C. Grof 1.
1 Centre for Plant Science, University of Newcastle, University drive Callaghan NSW AU 2309; [email protected]
2 School of molecular biosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW AU 2000
3 Consultancy for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration, Jesmond 2299
The capacity of spoil to act as a rehabilitation medium in the absence of replaced soil, is being tested via a field experiment at Mount Owen Complex (Hunter Valley, NSW). Spoil is being treated with municipal waste compost and microbes (rhizobia, ectomycorrhizal fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytic fungi). The treatments primarily aim to improve spoil organic carbon content, facilitate aggregation, and improve the growth of Australian native plant species. Approximately 2 years after treatment and planting, spoil total carbon values vary across treatments and controls. The size of particles is not significantly different as a result of treatment. However, treatment effects may be masked by the presence of rock and coal in samples. In respect of plant growth, Corymbia maculata is surviving and growing across all treatments and controls. Dodonaea viscosa and Acacia parvipinnula are responding to microbial inoculation. When inoculation is combined with addition of compost, it produces taller Hakea sericea plants. More detailed analyses and further sampling are planned over the next 12 months. Methods are also being developed and tested to account for the contribution of rock and coal carbon in samples.
Centre for Plant Science, University of Newcastle, University Drive
Callaghan NSW 2308
T: +61 7 3346 4065 │ F: +61 7 3346 4056
E: [email protected]
Kate is currently a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at the University of Newcastle. She is investigating organic and microbial amendment of mine spoil for rehabilitating native vegetation communities following open cut coal mining. Kate has worked in public and private sectors in the Hunter for over 10 years. Her roles encompassed vegetation assessment, natural resource compliance, site remediation, environmental impact assessment and land use planning.
Abstract
Can microbes and organic matter ameliorate spoil?
K. Newman1, Y. Nussbaumer1, M. Cole3, C. Daynes2, T. Mukasa-Mugerwa2, P. McGee2, C. Grof 1.
1 Centre for Plant Science, University of Newcastle, University drive Callaghan NSW AU 2309; [email protected]
2 School of molecular biosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW AU 2000
3 Consultancy for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration, Jesmond 2299
The capacity of spoil to act as a rehabilitation medium in the absence of replaced soil, is being tested via a field experiment at Mount Owen Complex (Hunter Valley, NSW). Spoil is being treated with municipal waste compost and microbes (rhizobia, ectomycorrhizal fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytic fungi). The treatments primarily aim to improve spoil organic carbon content, facilitate aggregation, and improve the growth of Australian native plant species. Approximately 2 years after treatment and planting, spoil total carbon values vary across treatments and controls. The size of particles is not significantly different as a result of treatment. However, treatment effects may be masked by the presence of rock and coal in samples. In respect of plant growth, Corymbia maculata is surviving and growing across all treatments and controls. Dodonaea viscosa and Acacia parvipinnula are responding to microbial inoculation. When inoculation is combined with addition of compost, it produces taller Hakea sericea plants. More detailed analyses and further sampling are planned over the next 12 months. Methods are also being developed and tested to account for the contribution of rock and coal carbon in samples.
Jo Powells | Agricultural Impact Statement Officer
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Locked Bag 6006
Orange NSW 2800
T: 02 6391 3885 | M: 0429 785 986
E:[email protected]
Jo is an agronomist with a beef cattle and sheep production background. She has been with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for over 12 years. During this time she has managed two, seven-year pasture grazing trials in Southern NSW and worked with southern tablelands farmers as District Agronomist in Goulburn for 3 years. In her current role as Agricultural Impact Statement (AIS) Officer she coordinates the DPI’s reviews of AIS’s for mining and gas projects and works with the mining industry to improve the agricultural outcomes for rehabilitated mine land.
She is currently involved in the ACARP/ DRE funded project investigating the sustainability and profitability of grazing on rehabilitated mine land (at HVO North and Mt Arthur) in the Upper Hunter and has a strong interest in improving the rehabilitation outcomes of mined land for a post-mining, agricultural land use. She is studying for a Masters of Sustainable Agriculture and remains involved in research investigating the establishment and performance of annual hard-seeded legumes in crop rotations and pasture systems.
Abstract
Monitoring of pasture rehabilitation on exploration and mining disturbed lands
Rehabilitation plans for mining related disturbances in NSW, QLD and Victoria all require companies to identify specific performance measures and indicators as well as completion criteria for their rehabilitated land. However, the guidelines for all 3 states provide no actual ‘guidance’ on what are acceptable monitoring methodologies that could deliver such outcomes.
Pastures are just one aspect of agricultural ecosystems that can be monitored and are commonly the chosen vegetation class for mine rehabilitation sites. The Botanical Analysis (BOTANAL) monitoring technique involves the visual estimation of herbage mass and botanical composition of pastures and has been used Australia wide for agricultural research but could also be adopted by the mining industry for monitoring rehabilitated grazing land. BOTANAL has recently been used for assessing the rehabilitation of exploration core holes drilled in the Bylong Valley and in grazing trials on rehabilitated mine land in the Hunter Valley. This presentation/ poster will explore the ways that the BOTANAL monitoring technique can be used by the mining industry to achieve an ongoing measure of rehabilitation performance from vegetation establishment through to completion as well as providing early identification of emerging threats to rehabilitation success and trigger points for remedial action to be undertaken.
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Locked Bag 6006
Orange NSW 2800
T: 02 6391 3885 | M: 0429 785 986
E:[email protected]
Jo is an agronomist with a beef cattle and sheep production background. She has been with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for over 12 years. During this time she has managed two, seven-year pasture grazing trials in Southern NSW and worked with southern tablelands farmers as District Agronomist in Goulburn for 3 years. In her current role as Agricultural Impact Statement (AIS) Officer she coordinates the DPI’s reviews of AIS’s for mining and gas projects and works with the mining industry to improve the agricultural outcomes for rehabilitated mine land.
She is currently involved in the ACARP/ DRE funded project investigating the sustainability and profitability of grazing on rehabilitated mine land (at HVO North and Mt Arthur) in the Upper Hunter and has a strong interest in improving the rehabilitation outcomes of mined land for a post-mining, agricultural land use. She is studying for a Masters of Sustainable Agriculture and remains involved in research investigating the establishment and performance of annual hard-seeded legumes in crop rotations and pasture systems.
Abstract
Monitoring of pasture rehabilitation on exploration and mining disturbed lands
Rehabilitation plans for mining related disturbances in NSW, QLD and Victoria all require companies to identify specific performance measures and indicators as well as completion criteria for their rehabilitated land. However, the guidelines for all 3 states provide no actual ‘guidance’ on what are acceptable monitoring methodologies that could deliver such outcomes.
Pastures are just one aspect of agricultural ecosystems that can be monitored and are commonly the chosen vegetation class for mine rehabilitation sites. The Botanical Analysis (BOTANAL) monitoring technique involves the visual estimation of herbage mass and botanical composition of pastures and has been used Australia wide for agricultural research but could also be adopted by the mining industry for monitoring rehabilitated grazing land. BOTANAL has recently been used for assessing the rehabilitation of exploration core holes drilled in the Bylong Valley and in grazing trials on rehabilitated mine land in the Hunter Valley. This presentation/ poster will explore the ways that the BOTANAL monitoring technique can be used by the mining industry to achieve an ongoing measure of rehabilitation performance from vegetation establishment through to completion as well as providing early identification of emerging threats to rehabilitation success and trigger points for remedial action to be undertaken.
Jemma Purandare
Senior Environmental Consultant, AECOM Australia
PhD Candidate – Faculty of Science, Griffith University
AECOM AUSTRALIA
LEVEL 8, 540 Wickham Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
T: +61 (7) 3553 4078 │ M: +61 438 684 444
E: [email protected]
Jemma is an Environmental Scientist with more than 9 years’ in consulting and site-based environmental management. A specialist in coastal science, sedimentology, land management and geomorphology, Jemma has spent much of her career to date working with the construction, mining, and oil and gas industries managing environmental impacts and conducting research and science programs to implement protection mechanisms during operations and rehabilitation.
Jemma’s expertise in rehabilitation is applied in both the mining and coal seam gas industries. This gives her a cross-industry perspective of the successes and failures in rehabilitation in both sectors. Additionally, Jemma’s position across both industries provides a view of the similarities, opportunities and differences in rehabilitation practices across the industries.
Abstract
Rehabilitation practices in CSG and their applicability to mining
Industry rehabilitation practices across the east coast of Australia have developed extensively over the past 10 years as a result of the lessons learned from successes and failures in the mining industry. While mining has been at the forefront of advances in rehabilitation practices, the coal seam gas (CSG) industry is quickly realising the benefits of programmed and structured rehabilitation. In Queensland, rehabilitation is managed predominantly through compliance with the project lease Environmental Authority (EA), which sets out often broad criteria for final rehabilitation standards. Mining and CSG EAs are generally very similar in their requirements and standards, which suggests that rehabilitation methodologies and practices should be consistent across industries. However, rehabilitation in the CSG industry is seemingly lower on the agenda than in mining, even though getting it ‘right’ is often more simpler than in mining, but is not implemented throughout operations with the same priority. The paper and poster discusses some of the key successes, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints of rehabilitation in the CSG industry, based on examples realised through extensive rehabilitation monitoring of CSG infrastructure throughout the Surat and Bowen Basins in Queensland. Conclusions from the discussion are then applied in the context of the mining industry, with key similarities identified, and synergies between rehabilitation successes across the two industries discussed further.
Senior Environmental Consultant, AECOM Australia
PhD Candidate – Faculty of Science, Griffith University
AECOM AUSTRALIA
LEVEL 8, 540 Wickham Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
T: +61 (7) 3553 4078 │ M: +61 438 684 444
E: [email protected]
Jemma is an Environmental Scientist with more than 9 years’ in consulting and site-based environmental management. A specialist in coastal science, sedimentology, land management and geomorphology, Jemma has spent much of her career to date working with the construction, mining, and oil and gas industries managing environmental impacts and conducting research and science programs to implement protection mechanisms during operations and rehabilitation.
Jemma’s expertise in rehabilitation is applied in both the mining and coal seam gas industries. This gives her a cross-industry perspective of the successes and failures in rehabilitation in both sectors. Additionally, Jemma’s position across both industries provides a view of the similarities, opportunities and differences in rehabilitation practices across the industries.
Abstract
Rehabilitation practices in CSG and their applicability to mining
Industry rehabilitation practices across the east coast of Australia have developed extensively over the past 10 years as a result of the lessons learned from successes and failures in the mining industry. While mining has been at the forefront of advances in rehabilitation practices, the coal seam gas (CSG) industry is quickly realising the benefits of programmed and structured rehabilitation. In Queensland, rehabilitation is managed predominantly through compliance with the project lease Environmental Authority (EA), which sets out often broad criteria for final rehabilitation standards. Mining and CSG EAs are generally very similar in their requirements and standards, which suggests that rehabilitation methodologies and practices should be consistent across industries. However, rehabilitation in the CSG industry is seemingly lower on the agenda than in mining, even though getting it ‘right’ is often more simpler than in mining, but is not implemented throughout operations with the same priority. The paper and poster discusses some of the key successes, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints of rehabilitation in the CSG industry, based on examples realised through extensive rehabilitation monitoring of CSG infrastructure throughout the Surat and Bowen Basins in Queensland. Conclusions from the discussion are then applied in the context of the mining industry, with key similarities identified, and synergies between rehabilitation successes across the two industries discussed further.
Robert Scanlon
Honour Student, Environmental Biology and Biotechnology Research Group
University of Newcastle
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 0403152460
I recently completed a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Biology and Earth Science and am currently studying Honours under Dr Carmen Castor. My interests lie in the interaction between an organism and its environment at the ecosystem level. Studying a double major enabled me to learn about a broad range of areas from ecotoxicology, plant identification and microbiology through to paleo climates, environmental remediation and GIS. My honours project focuses on comparing plant micro-habitat characteristics (microsite) on Ravensworth Open Cut Coal Mine with reference locations. The overall aim of the project is to improve the microsite availability on rehabilitation areas to increase the establishment and survival of herbaceous perennial species. Other areas of investigation include ant seed predation, the viability of seeds produced by the target plants and the effect of soil physical and chemical characteristics on plant survival.
Abstract
Organic Growth Medium as a soil conditioner for mine rehabilitation.
Robert Scanlon, Dr Carmen Castor and Dr Yvonne Nussbaumer
Organic Growth Medium (OGM) is a compost produced from municipal household waste, which has the potential to increase soil fertility for farming and mine rehabilitation. Waste material undergoes sorting, composting and pasteurisation in order to produce a material high in organic matter as well as macro and many micro nutrients. An experiment was set up on the Ravensworth Open Cut coal mine in the Hunter Valley which examines the effect of combinations of spoil, subsoil, OGM and mulch application on the initial growth and survival of native understorey plants. The initial results are revealing a range of responses to spoil amelioration. The addition of OGM has brought some nutrients up to their desirable levels (Phosphorus, Calcium and Boron) while taking other nutrients to excessive levels (Nitrogen, Potassium, Magnesium and Sulphur). The resulting high plant cover is reflecting the high levels of nutrients in all treatments containing OGM. However, the high levels are not benefitting all species. For one of the target species, Hypericum gramineum, lower survival rates on OGM plots are being found. It is suggested that while OGM has many positive effects there are also some negative ones which must be balanced by the land manager depending on the intended outcome expected for the remediation site.
Honour Student, Environmental Biology and Biotechnology Research Group
University of Newcastle
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 0403152460
I recently completed a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Biology and Earth Science and am currently studying Honours under Dr Carmen Castor. My interests lie in the interaction between an organism and its environment at the ecosystem level. Studying a double major enabled me to learn about a broad range of areas from ecotoxicology, plant identification and microbiology through to paleo climates, environmental remediation and GIS. My honours project focuses on comparing plant micro-habitat characteristics (microsite) on Ravensworth Open Cut Coal Mine with reference locations. The overall aim of the project is to improve the microsite availability on rehabilitation areas to increase the establishment and survival of herbaceous perennial species. Other areas of investigation include ant seed predation, the viability of seeds produced by the target plants and the effect of soil physical and chemical characteristics on plant survival.
Abstract
Organic Growth Medium as a soil conditioner for mine rehabilitation.
Robert Scanlon, Dr Carmen Castor and Dr Yvonne Nussbaumer
Organic Growth Medium (OGM) is a compost produced from municipal household waste, which has the potential to increase soil fertility for farming and mine rehabilitation. Waste material undergoes sorting, composting and pasteurisation in order to produce a material high in organic matter as well as macro and many micro nutrients. An experiment was set up on the Ravensworth Open Cut coal mine in the Hunter Valley which examines the effect of combinations of spoil, subsoil, OGM and mulch application on the initial growth and survival of native understorey plants. The initial results are revealing a range of responses to spoil amelioration. The addition of OGM has brought some nutrients up to their desirable levels (Phosphorus, Calcium and Boron) while taking other nutrients to excessive levels (Nitrogen, Potassium, Magnesium and Sulphur). The resulting high plant cover is reflecting the high levels of nutrients in all treatments containing OGM. However, the high levels are not benefitting all species. For one of the target species, Hypericum gramineum, lower survival rates on OGM plots are being found. It is suggested that while OGM has many positive effects there are also some negative ones which must be balanced by the land manager depending on the intended outcome expected for the remediation site.
Peter Stevens
Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment, University of Newcastle
T: +61 2 4921 6235 │M: 0431 333 337
e: [email protected]
Peter Stevens is an associate of the TFI and a former senior manager in the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, with qualifications in architecture, environmental science and project management. Currently lecturing in the Disaster Preparedness and Sustainable Redevelopment Master’s program at the University of Newcastle. Peter is studying the mismatch between human environment development patterns and the patterns that occur in nature to accumulate resources. The poster presented at this conference alludes to opportunities afforded in mined landscapes to explore these patterns of accumulation as the basis for ecologically sustainable human habitat. He is looking for an industry partner to pilot the approach based upon pilot projects and research undertaken over twenty years.
Abstract
A watershed storage model for productive post-mining landuse
By converting to a watershed storage model for post mining landscape construction it is possible to create the conditions necessary for long-term biological productivity. These are the moist deeply watered conditions that created the vast Gondwana forest, woodlands and open plains from which we are drawing Carbon, and from which the mega diverse biota on the continent has evolved.
The natural sequence of water and fertility movement can be restored with significant ongoing benefits, including the elevated levels of productivity. Rather than replacing the catchment drainage patterns of a post colonial landscape it is possible to pattern the land from the coarse to the micro scale in one pass, leaving a landscape texture that assures long term recharge of the landscape hydrology. This in turn can be used to create significant biomass.
This paper outlines the principles of the approach, with an appraisal of initial concept modelling results, and three systems that have been shown to deliver effective outcomes for soil, water and fertility within this new land and water paradigm. The paper outlines how this concept will influence the reassignment of land and water in post mining landscapes as part of the long-term social and economic life of communities.
The presentation is rounded off with a proposal for public/private partnerships in the recovery of degraded and otherwise sterilised lands including mine lands and lands affected by the completion of mining activities in otherwise productive landscapes. The proposal outlines the way forward for post-mining communities faced with an unfunded legacy of degraded environmental systems. The solution lies in the promotion of a landscape hydrology that support complex biota to build fertility. The approach will address many of the risks associated with contemporary landuse in Australia at a fraction of the cost.
Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment, University of Newcastle
T: +61 2 4921 6235 │M: 0431 333 337
e: [email protected]
Peter Stevens is an associate of the TFI and a former senior manager in the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, with qualifications in architecture, environmental science and project management. Currently lecturing in the Disaster Preparedness and Sustainable Redevelopment Master’s program at the University of Newcastle. Peter is studying the mismatch between human environment development patterns and the patterns that occur in nature to accumulate resources. The poster presented at this conference alludes to opportunities afforded in mined landscapes to explore these patterns of accumulation as the basis for ecologically sustainable human habitat. He is looking for an industry partner to pilot the approach based upon pilot projects and research undertaken over twenty years.
Abstract
A watershed storage model for productive post-mining landuse
By converting to a watershed storage model for post mining landscape construction it is possible to create the conditions necessary for long-term biological productivity. These are the moist deeply watered conditions that created the vast Gondwana forest, woodlands and open plains from which we are drawing Carbon, and from which the mega diverse biota on the continent has evolved.
The natural sequence of water and fertility movement can be restored with significant ongoing benefits, including the elevated levels of productivity. Rather than replacing the catchment drainage patterns of a post colonial landscape it is possible to pattern the land from the coarse to the micro scale in one pass, leaving a landscape texture that assures long term recharge of the landscape hydrology. This in turn can be used to create significant biomass.
This paper outlines the principles of the approach, with an appraisal of initial concept modelling results, and three systems that have been shown to deliver effective outcomes for soil, water and fertility within this new land and water paradigm. The paper outlines how this concept will influence the reassignment of land and water in post mining landscapes as part of the long-term social and economic life of communities.
The presentation is rounded off with a proposal for public/private partnerships in the recovery of degraded and otherwise sterilised lands including mine lands and lands affected by the completion of mining activities in otherwise productive landscapes. The proposal outlines the way forward for post-mining communities faced with an unfunded legacy of degraded environmental systems. The solution lies in the promotion of a landscape hydrology that support complex biota to build fertility. The approach will address many of the risks associated with contemporary landuse in Australia at a fraction of the cost.
Corinne Unger
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation,
Sustainable Minerals Institute,
The University of Queensland
E: [email protected]
M: 0417 550021
Corinne Unger is a part-time senior researcher at the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation as well as a self-employed environmental consultant specialising in mine rehabilitation and closure planning. A Churchill Fellowship in 2009 enabled Corinne to research leading practice abandoned mine rehabilitation and post-mining land use in Austria, Germany, the UK and Canada. Corinne’s experience spans 32 years; in land rehabilitation with the NSW Soil Conservation Service, mine rehabilitation and research management at ERA’s Ranger Mine in the Northern Territory and development of the Mount Morgan legacy gold/copper Mine rehabilitation project team and rehabilitation plan in Central Queensland employed by the Queensland DME/NRM. For the last 10 years Corinne has been consulting and more recently undertaking research based in Brisbane. She is currently lead investigator for an ACARP research grant to develop a ‘Mine Rehabilitation and Closure knowledge management wiki’ for Central Queensland mine rehabilitation practitioners in collaboration with the Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG). Corinne is also a Chartered Professional (Env) within AusIMM. She is also the inaugural Chair of the AusIMM Community and Environment Society. Corinne is an Associate Member of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites, Australia)
Abstract
Coal mine Rehabilitation and Closure knowledge management scoping study (ACARP C23023)
The Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG) has hosted minesite rehabilitation inspections combined with technical workshops for more than 20 years. It was recognised at CQMRG’s anniversary meeting in April 2013 that the vast body of knowledge held by rehabilitation and closure planning practitioners was being lost as senior rehabilitation experts retire from the industry. It was noted that even more knowledge could be readily lost unless a knowledge management platform was developed to capture, store and enable retrieval of this information. This loss of knowledge results in a significant cost to industry. This project was therefore undertaken to review tools which have the capability to gather the less formal knowledge as well as to make links to existing resources and bibliographic material. This scoping study evaluated eight alternative knowledge management systems to provide guidance on the best method of providing the industry with an up-to-date, good practice, knowledge management system for rehabilitation and closure practices, with capability for information sharing via a portal and discussion forum.
This project provides guidance for a larger project which will implement the knowledge management system to meet the requirements of the CQMRG and be transferrable to other regions if applicable. It will also provide the opportunity to identify missing links between existing tools and their application. That is, users may not be aware of how these existing tools can be used to assist with mine rehabilitation planning and implementation and the development of a new platform will help to create those linkages.
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation,
Sustainable Minerals Institute,
The University of Queensland
E: [email protected]
M: 0417 550021
Corinne Unger is a part-time senior researcher at the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation as well as a self-employed environmental consultant specialising in mine rehabilitation and closure planning. A Churchill Fellowship in 2009 enabled Corinne to research leading practice abandoned mine rehabilitation and post-mining land use in Austria, Germany, the UK and Canada. Corinne’s experience spans 32 years; in land rehabilitation with the NSW Soil Conservation Service, mine rehabilitation and research management at ERA’s Ranger Mine in the Northern Territory and development of the Mount Morgan legacy gold/copper Mine rehabilitation project team and rehabilitation plan in Central Queensland employed by the Queensland DME/NRM. For the last 10 years Corinne has been consulting and more recently undertaking research based in Brisbane. She is currently lead investigator for an ACARP research grant to develop a ‘Mine Rehabilitation and Closure knowledge management wiki’ for Central Queensland mine rehabilitation practitioners in collaboration with the Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG). Corinne is also a Chartered Professional (Env) within AusIMM. She is also the inaugural Chair of the AusIMM Community and Environment Society. Corinne is an Associate Member of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites, Australia)
Abstract
Coal mine Rehabilitation and Closure knowledge management scoping study (ACARP C23023)
The Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG) has hosted minesite rehabilitation inspections combined with technical workshops for more than 20 years. It was recognised at CQMRG’s anniversary meeting in April 2013 that the vast body of knowledge held by rehabilitation and closure planning practitioners was being lost as senior rehabilitation experts retire from the industry. It was noted that even more knowledge could be readily lost unless a knowledge management platform was developed to capture, store and enable retrieval of this information. This loss of knowledge results in a significant cost to industry. This project was therefore undertaken to review tools which have the capability to gather the less formal knowledge as well as to make links to existing resources and bibliographic material. This scoping study evaluated eight alternative knowledge management systems to provide guidance on the best method of providing the industry with an up-to-date, good practice, knowledge management system for rehabilitation and closure practices, with capability for information sharing via a portal and discussion forum.
This project provides guidance for a larger project which will implement the knowledge management system to meet the requirements of the CQMRG and be transferrable to other regions if applicable. It will also provide the opportunity to identify missing links between existing tools and their application. That is, users may not be aware of how these existing tools can be used to assist with mine rehabilitation planning and implementation and the development of a new platform will help to create those linkages.
Dr. Alena Walmsley (formerly Roubickova)
Synergy Metals, Glen Wills, VIC 3898
T: +61 (3) 51 59 72 54
M: +61 487 851 809
E: [email protected]
Dr. Alena Walmsley has recently completed her Ph.D. on the topic Interactions of soil, soil fauna and plants during succession on spoil heaps after brown coal mining. During her studies in the Czech Republic she has been part of a research team studying various aspects of succession on reclaimed and non-reclaimed post mining sites. She has also participated in field fauna and flora surveys and practical ecosystem management and monitoring.
During her time in Australia she has worked as a field assistant for Meridian Minerals and Synergy Metals, doing geological surveys, geophysical research and performing practical small-scale reclamations. She has been publishing her results in peer-reviewed magazines, contributed to a book on ecology of post mining sites and also presented her results on international conferences.
Abstract
Can soil macrofauna affect plant community composition during primary succession?
In the North-West Region of the Czech Republic, brown coal open cast mining has been performed since the 1950s and as a consequence large spoil heaps have been formed. Most of these have been subject to technical reclamations, but parts were left to spontaneous succession. Due to various age of the sites (from 5 to 50 years) we are able to follow the process of succession on so-called chronosequences and document changes in the ecosystem. Previous research performed Prof. Jan Frouz (Charles University) and his team documented major changes in vegetation during mid-succession stages that correspond with occurrence of some groups of soil macrofauna (earthworms and wireworms).
Alena’s team tested the interactions between these soil animal groups, plants and soil in several field and laboratory experiments.
They found that earthworm activity resulted in chemical changes in soil and concurrently positively affected growth of selected late-successional plants, typical meadow and forest undergrowth species. At the same time earthworms negatively affected germination of species with small seeds in comparison with large seeds, which links to the evolutionary trend towards large-seeded species. They also tested how earthworm survival depends on biotic and abiotic conditions at the spoil heaps and found that at sites with no tree cover the survival rate is very low.
Wireworms were found to have negative effect on the expansive grass Calamagrostis epigejos, which often dominates plant communities on spoil heaps and have the potential to change the whole plant community composition.
This research infers that colonization of spoil heaps by soil macrofauna during natural succession may affect the whole plant community and consequently development of the ecosystem; on the other hand, establishment of soil fauna is limited by the soil conditions and character of vegetation
Synergy Metals, Glen Wills, VIC 3898
T: +61 (3) 51 59 72 54
M: +61 487 851 809
E: [email protected]
Dr. Alena Walmsley has recently completed her Ph.D. on the topic Interactions of soil, soil fauna and plants during succession on spoil heaps after brown coal mining. During her studies in the Czech Republic she has been part of a research team studying various aspects of succession on reclaimed and non-reclaimed post mining sites. She has also participated in field fauna and flora surveys and practical ecosystem management and monitoring.
During her time in Australia she has worked as a field assistant for Meridian Minerals and Synergy Metals, doing geological surveys, geophysical research and performing practical small-scale reclamations. She has been publishing her results in peer-reviewed magazines, contributed to a book on ecology of post mining sites and also presented her results on international conferences.
Abstract
Can soil macrofauna affect plant community composition during primary succession?
In the North-West Region of the Czech Republic, brown coal open cast mining has been performed since the 1950s and as a consequence large spoil heaps have been formed. Most of these have been subject to technical reclamations, but parts were left to spontaneous succession. Due to various age of the sites (from 5 to 50 years) we are able to follow the process of succession on so-called chronosequences and document changes in the ecosystem. Previous research performed Prof. Jan Frouz (Charles University) and his team documented major changes in vegetation during mid-succession stages that correspond with occurrence of some groups of soil macrofauna (earthworms and wireworms).
Alena’s team tested the interactions between these soil animal groups, plants and soil in several field and laboratory experiments.
They found that earthworm activity resulted in chemical changes in soil and concurrently positively affected growth of selected late-successional plants, typical meadow and forest undergrowth species. At the same time earthworms negatively affected germination of species with small seeds in comparison with large seeds, which links to the evolutionary trend towards large-seeded species. They also tested how earthworm survival depends on biotic and abiotic conditions at the spoil heaps and found that at sites with no tree cover the survival rate is very low.
Wireworms were found to have negative effect on the expansive grass Calamagrostis epigejos, which often dominates plant communities on spoil heaps and have the potential to change the whole plant community composition.
This research infers that colonization of spoil heaps by soil macrofauna during natural succession may affect the whole plant community and consequently development of the ecosystem; on the other hand, establishment of soil fauna is limited by the soil conditions and character of vegetation
Dr. Howard Wildman
Chief Scientist, Microbial Management Systems
Microbial Management Systems
6 Marion Crescent
LAPSTONE NSW 2773 AUSTRALIA
T: +61 (2) 4739 2001 │ M: +61 422 534 779
E: [email protected]
W: www.microbeman.com.au
Dr. Howard Wildman is chief scientist at Microbial Management Systems (MMS), a laboratory that undertakes microbiological testing of soil, organic matter and water — as well as providing microbial solutions for soil management, bioremediation and waste management problems. Prior to establishing MMS, he worked for over 20 years in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the United Kingdom and Australia, with companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, AMRAD and Cerylid Biosciences. Through this work he has extensive experience in the monitoring, isolation and culture of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in terrestrial and aquatic habitats and their growth and fermentation on both liquid and solid substrates. MMS has undertaken projects to monitor the effects on soil microbial communities of soil disturbance, storage and replacement, the time required to develop stable soil communities on rehabilitating sites, biological soil crust development on rehabilitating arid soils, and the effectiveness of soil amendments on the establishment of microbial communities on degraded soils.
Abstract
Managing microorganisms for improved mine site rehabilitation
A major challenge in rehabilitating land that has been subjected to mining is re-establishment of a self-sustaining vegetative cover. This can be difficult because post-mining soils often have a less developed structure, reduced organic matter and lower nutrient contents than original soils. As decomposers, soil microbial communities mediate critical ecosystem processes, and microorganisms are an important element for successful reclamation because of their role in nutrient cycling, plant establishment, geochemical transformations and soil formation. Knowing the size, composition and activity of soil microbial communities enables the biological differences between soils, the effects of soil disturbance and storage, and the impacts of soil management strategies to be monitored.
This presentation will discuss:
Metrics that have been developed to monitor and summarise the status of soil microbial communities and which can be used to demonstrate their recovery in rehabilitated soils. A simple and robust primary bio-indicator of the degree of soil disturbance will also be outlined.
Soil disturbance, moisture, and organic matter as primary regulators of soil microbial communities.
The role of microorganisms in stabilising soils in the critical time before vegetation establishes.
Chief Scientist, Microbial Management Systems
Microbial Management Systems
6 Marion Crescent
LAPSTONE NSW 2773 AUSTRALIA
T: +61 (2) 4739 2001 │ M: +61 422 534 779
E: [email protected]
W: www.microbeman.com.au
Dr. Howard Wildman is chief scientist at Microbial Management Systems (MMS), a laboratory that undertakes microbiological testing of soil, organic matter and water — as well as providing microbial solutions for soil management, bioremediation and waste management problems. Prior to establishing MMS, he worked for over 20 years in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the United Kingdom and Australia, with companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, AMRAD and Cerylid Biosciences. Through this work he has extensive experience in the monitoring, isolation and culture of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in terrestrial and aquatic habitats and their growth and fermentation on both liquid and solid substrates. MMS has undertaken projects to monitor the effects on soil microbial communities of soil disturbance, storage and replacement, the time required to develop stable soil communities on rehabilitating sites, biological soil crust development on rehabilitating arid soils, and the effectiveness of soil amendments on the establishment of microbial communities on degraded soils.
Abstract
Managing microorganisms for improved mine site rehabilitation
A major challenge in rehabilitating land that has been subjected to mining is re-establishment of a self-sustaining vegetative cover. This can be difficult because post-mining soils often have a less developed structure, reduced organic matter and lower nutrient contents than original soils. As decomposers, soil microbial communities mediate critical ecosystem processes, and microorganisms are an important element for successful reclamation because of their role in nutrient cycling, plant establishment, geochemical transformations and soil formation. Knowing the size, composition and activity of soil microbial communities enables the biological differences between soils, the effects of soil disturbance and storage, and the impacts of soil management strategies to be monitored.
This presentation will discuss:
Metrics that have been developed to monitor and summarise the status of soil microbial communities and which can be used to demonstrate their recovery in rehabilitated soils. A simple and robust primary bio-indicator of the degree of soil disturbance will also be outlined.
Soil disturbance, moisture, and organic matter as primary regulators of soil microbial communities.
The role of microorganisms in stabilising soils in the critical time before vegetation establishes.
Mr. Hao ZHAI
Undergraduate Student, School of Mining Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, The University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052
M: +61 425 550 604
E: [email protected]
Hao ZHAI is an undergraduate student in School of Mining Engineering at University of NSW (UNSW). His recent work related to continuous mapping and monitoring vegetation around derelict mines with remote sensing provided an innovative approach for old mining issues. He is a passionate new blood into the mining industry and he is ready to adopt new mining technologies to increase efficiency.
Abstract
Mapping vegetation stress around abandoned mines through airborne high resolution hyperspectral remote sensing data
Hao Zhai, Bikram Pratap Banerjee and Simitkumar Raval
Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices, School of Mining Engineering, University of New South Wales
The Blue Mountains National Park (BMNP) under the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area has relatively pristine ecosystems. However, the area has had a history of Lead-Zinc-Silver mining for more than a century and the past mining activities have impacted surrounding water and soil with heavy metal contamination. Remote sensing techniques, particularly hyperspectral or imaging spectroscopy, have emerged as a promising tool for monitoring vegetation health including vegetation stress due to heavy metal contamination. The key concept is based on changes in reflectance characteristics of the affected plants. This study utilized high resolution (50cm) hyperspectral airborne data (160 bands) acquired over the Yerranderie area to assess relatively health of the vegetation. The analysis of the Mean Normalized Vegetation Index (MNDVI) along two streams near old mine shafts showed low correlation between vegetation health and the soil contamination. The trend of the distribution of various vegetation statuses within streams were found similar along 20 streams in the study area which included 7 streams surrounded by the old mine shafts. This finding demonstrated the potential application of hyperspectral remote sensing for assessing the vegetation status at a regional scale.
Undergraduate Student, School of Mining Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, The University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052
M: +61 425 550 604
E: [email protected]
Hao ZHAI is an undergraduate student in School of Mining Engineering at University of NSW (UNSW). His recent work related to continuous mapping and monitoring vegetation around derelict mines with remote sensing provided an innovative approach for old mining issues. He is a passionate new blood into the mining industry and he is ready to adopt new mining technologies to increase efficiency.
Abstract
Mapping vegetation stress around abandoned mines through airborne high resolution hyperspectral remote sensing data
Hao Zhai, Bikram Pratap Banerjee and Simitkumar Raval
Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices, School of Mining Engineering, University of New South Wales
The Blue Mountains National Park (BMNP) under the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area has relatively pristine ecosystems. However, the area has had a history of Lead-Zinc-Silver mining for more than a century and the past mining activities have impacted surrounding water and soil with heavy metal contamination. Remote sensing techniques, particularly hyperspectral or imaging spectroscopy, have emerged as a promising tool for monitoring vegetation health including vegetation stress due to heavy metal contamination. The key concept is based on changes in reflectance characteristics of the affected plants. This study utilized high resolution (50cm) hyperspectral airborne data (160 bands) acquired over the Yerranderie area to assess relatively health of the vegetation. The analysis of the Mean Normalized Vegetation Index (MNDVI) along two streams near old mine shafts showed low correlation between vegetation health and the soil contamination. The trend of the distribution of various vegetation statuses within streams were found similar along 20 streams in the study area which included 7 streams surrounded by the old mine shafts. This finding demonstrated the potential application of hyperspectral remote sensing for assessing the vegetation status at a regional scale.