Environment

Managing natural resources

Hard lessons: Australia’s experience in handling sensitive ecosystems has led to innovative use of technology

Australia is a land of diversity and contrast, with landscapes that range from wet tropic forests to alpine areas, coral reefs to deserts. Because of this diversity and Australia’s large number of sensitive ecosystems, environmental management presents a constant challenge and requires innovative solutions.

Australia’s experience in managing these diverse and often harsh environments has resulted in an international reputation as a producer of innovative and adaptable environmental technologies. The environment industry supplies and exports goods, services and technologies, including:

• water and wastewater management;
• river system and coastal zone management;
• land management and rehabilitation;
• energy efficiency and renewable energy;
• waste minimisation, treatment
  and disposal;
• resource recycling;
• cleaner production technologies;
• air-quality monitoring and control;
• monitoring and instrumentation; and
• environmental research, analysis and technology development.

The capabilities of this expertise were showcased to the world during the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games – which were tagged “the Green Games”. Innovative technologies incorporated into Games buildings included water reclamation and re-use systems, as well as ‘green’ construction materials such as non-toxic termite protection, low-toxicity paints, wool insulation and plantation softwoods.

There was also widespread use of solar technology for power and lighting at Olympic venues and in the athletes’ village, which was the world’s largest solar-powered suburb.

Generating growth
In an era where the international importance of sustainable development will continue to grow, there is a major opportunity for Australia’s environmental expertise to generate growth, exports, jobs and wealth for Australia, while improving the competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of its customers. The size of the Australian environment industry is already estimated at A$16.4bn annually (2001/2), and is expected to grow to around A$40bn a year by 2010.

Fire and rain: Australia’s CSIRO has major research strengths in land and water management

Domestically, environmental sustainability is an increasingly integral component of business for all Australian industries, encouraged by the government’s use of financial incentives and tax breaks. The 2003 Budget, for example, included a A$10m program to pilot financial incentives towards better land and water management, as well as tax concessions for expenditure on environmental impact statements and remediation, for capital expenditure on soil conservation and related measures, and for landowners entering conservation covenants with eligible organisations. There are also new rewards for oil recycling and reuse. Such incentives are part of a major government push to harness market forces in environmental protection.

Even without such assistance, Australian businesses are increasingly adopting the economic, social and environmental ‘triple bottom line’. With A$1bn under management in socially-responsible investment funds in Australia today, sustainable development issues can be seen as a value-adding opportunity as well as a cost component.

Exporting expertise
Australian companies have been particularly successful in the international market segments of wastewater treatment, water monitoring, instrumentation and renewable ‘green’ energy.

Recent examples of major projects include:

• sewage monitoring and control systems in Abu Dhabi;
• wastewater and sludge dewatering plant for a steel mill in Thailand;
• system control and data-acquisition water monitoring contracts in China;
• river flow and flood monitoring projects in Malaysia and India; and
• installation of a solar power lighting system in Mauritius.

The Australian environment industry is also supported by government initiatives. The Environment Industry Action Agenda was created in a cross-departmental initiative to develop a strategic plan for the next five to ten years, identifying industry and government priorities with measurable outcomes and clear timeframes.
The competitiveness of Australia’s environment industry sector is further enhanced by the quality of the relevant research base, exemplified by the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) and strong CSIRO capabilities in many areas, including biodiversity, climate and atmosphere, marine, and land and water. Under land and water, for example, CSIRO has:

• conducted considerable research on interstate water trading for the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, and on the development of alternative groundwater trading regimes;
• assessed ecotoxicological effects of contaminants in soils and the potential risk contaminants posed to animal and human health; and
• researched soil and groundwater remediation technologies, which have resulted in projected cost savings of up to A$15m a year for one petrochemical company.

With advanced standards, a track record in leading-edge products and services, capable and committed R&D, and a strong educational infrastructure in environmental sciences and engineering, Australian industry boasts experience in solving a wide range of environmental problems that are common to many other countries.

A government internet gateway, EnviroNET, disseminates Australian solutions and promotes Australian environmental companies to the world. With a global market that is already estimated at between US$450bn and US$750bn, Australia is well positioned to clean up.

Websites:
www.environment.gov.au
www.environet.ea.gov.au
www.industry.gov.au
www.csiro.au
www.environmentbusiness.com.au
www.awa.asn.au
www.wmaa.asn.au