Since late 2007, URS Australia (URS), on behalf of a major oil company, has managed the continuing investigation and remediation of a petroleum fuels pipeline release site in Victoria. Sustainability principles and measures have been a major feature of the remediation. The release was initially believed to be short term and consisted of primarily unleaded petrol, jet fuel, and diesel fuel from a multi-product pipeline. The pipeline was promptly repaired and contaminated fill soil from the immediate vicinity of the release was removed and disposed of off site. One of the most significant challenges at this site is determining the extent and techniques for removal of light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL) within regulatory mandates and time lines.

Australia is experiencing an evolution in water infrastructure. Desalination plants and water-recycling facilities are just some of the major water infrastructure projects being built across the country. For government and designers, the challenge is how to create water infrastructure that improves access to water while minimising environmental footprint.

Total Environment Centre has called on government to embrace energy efficiency along with a carbon price, in response to an analysis of federal government climate change programs, which was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 16 February.

CSIRO has developed new tools to help government and industry water management agencies better estimate how forest plantations affect stream flows in local catchments.

Erina Fair shopping centre is set to recycle 250 tonnes every year with waste management technology.

Australia is now sending more than 1 million tonnes of plastic waste to landfill each year. This figure will continue to rise, reaching at least 1.5 million tonnes by 2030, due to increasing plastics consumption and an increasing proportion of durable plastic goods entering the waste stream.

Construction continues on the recycled water plant at Fairfield that will provide recycled water to some of Sydney’s largest industrial water users as part of the of the NSW Government’s Sydney Metropolitan Water Plan. The plan has set targets to provide up to 12% of Sydney’s water needs through recycled water projects.

As building growth intersects with environmental concerns and the rising cost of energy, architects and building engineers are turning to the Building Information Modelling (BIM) approach to building design. BIM enables architects and engineers to explore a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally before it is built, helping to deliver projects faster and more economically, while minimising environmental impact.

Power usage is a major cost to business and lighting can be a surprisingly high contributor, especially for commercial or industrial sectors. However, new lighting technology innovation is bringing to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges and increase energy efficiency.

One of Germany’s largest waste disposal firms is receiving a new generation of trucks with 20% more payload thanks to containers made of Hardox wear plate from SSAB.

Ovivo has recently completed an advanced water treatment plant (AWTP) facility for Inghams Enterprises at its Murarrie processing plant in Brisbane. The facility currently treats the equivalent of two Olympic-sized swimming pools of process water per day and when it reaches its full potential, it will treat close to three.

Baptist Community Services - NSW & ACT (BCS), a not-for-profit Christian care organisation that serves the elderly and people living with a disadvantage, has developed a resource reduction policy following a commitment to reduce its energy consumption by 2% each year until 2020. To help meet this target, BCS has selected mySmart CTI as its metering provider, to gain complete visibility of its energy usage.

QGC, an Australian coal seam gas explorer and producer, has signed a contract with a consortium of GE and Laing O’Rourke for the construction of a water-treatment plant in south-west Queensland that will support the region’s rapidly growing coal seam gas industry. Coal seam gas is a form of natural gas trapped in coal beds by water and ground pressure. High salinity water is produced as part of coal seam gas extraction, which must be treated in an environmentally responsible manner.

Food processing and other organic waste streams are often high in energy potential and produced in significant quantities. Trade waste is an expense and green credentials are gaining importance in the eyes of the consumer.

SITA Environmental Solutions’ (SITA) Campbelltown service centre is now providing a cleaner, greener collection service to residents in and around the Campbelltown City Council local government area.