2003 Winners
Pasminco Rosebery Mine and the West Coast Council won a record three awards at Tasmania’s premier environmental award for 2003 for a joint project which involves the two disused mine tailings dams for sewage treatment and the establishment of a wetland and clarification system. The then Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Mr Bryan Green, announced the winners of the Awards at the Annual Environment Minister’s Dinner held on 10 May 2003.
Winners in each category are:
Summary of Award Winners
Minister’s Award
Winner: Pasminco Rosebery Mine and West Coast Council
Local Government Award
Winner: Pasminco Rosebery Mine and West Coast Council
Mining and Mineral Processing Award
Winner: Pasminco Rosebery Mine and West Coast Council
The Minister’s Award was selected from the winners of the category awards.
The ecological health of the severely degraded Stitt River on Tasmania’s West Coast dramatically improved over the last year following an innovative partnership between Pasminco and the West Coast Council.
Discussions between Pasminco Rosebery Mine (PRM) and the West Coast Council identified an opportunity to utilise two disused mine tailings dams as wastewater treatment lagoons, which would also provide an opportunity for enhancing the rehabilitation prospects for the dams
Levels of potentially harmful nutrients have fallen by more than 95 percent since town sewerage & effluent, which previously entered the Stitt River directly, was diverted into two non-operational mine tailings dams. These dams operate as ‘wetlands’ or biological filters to treat the effluent.
The encouraging results have been maintained through 2002, indicating that this project has established a long-term, sustainable solution to Stitt River water quality issues.
This project demonstrates a rare use of mining infrastructure to achieve a community environmental goal and one, which has received support from the community, and every level of government.
Manufacturing and Processing Award
Winner: Freshwater Systems Biobaffle
Freshwater Systems, a Tasmanian environmental company, recently patented an Australian environmental innovation called the Biobaffle. It enables native fish and other aquatic fauna to swim through concrete culverts. The several hundred thousand road culverts on Tasmanian streams act as barriers to fish movement due to excessive water velocities inside them. The Biobaffle is designed to restore fish passage at existing culverts.
This product is rapidly being adopted: forming the basis for a new Tasmanian fish passage policy; being incorporated into the Forest Practices Code and DIER major road culvert tenders; and culvert rehabilitation in the Derwent catchment (Tasmania) has begun.
Government Business Enterprise and Infrastructure Award
Winner: Hobart Water - Lake Fenton/Lady Barron Creek Drinking Water Catchment Management Plan
Drinking water catchment management is a long term proposition that involves a large number of stakeholders and interests.
The innovative Lake Fenton/Lady Barron Creek Drinking Water Catchment Management Plan (the Plan), completed in 2000, has now manifested a number of actions, demonstrating a collaborative approach to the practical application of environmental best practice for long term resource sustainability.
Actions implemented to date include:
- environmental flows and water quality investigation through on-line telemetry points throughout the catchment;
- enhanced visitor management through track relocation, site rehabilitation, and road and traffic infrastructure management and development; and
- education and awareness through signage, interpretation panels, continued school and community education programs and wide ranging consultation.
Professor Harry Bloom Memorial Award
Winner: Dr Peter Davies
Peter's experience in water quality, environmental flow and freshwater biodiversity issues span more than 25 years. He is an environmental leader with passion and vision.
Peter is a high achiever setting new standards and 'Australian-firsts' in developing innovative policies and strategies, (AUSRIVAS framework), implementing new practices (Lake Pedder Galaxias translocation) and designing new environmental innovations (the Biobaffle). He has always sought to take new directions and to appropriate new ideas into his chosen area.
He is seen as a primary motivator in the area of aquatic environmental management by many in industry, government and the community.
Community Award
Winner: Mt Roland Rivercare
Mt Roland Rivercare was established in August 1999 with the major objectives of returning the degraded Dasher and Minnow Rivers and their tributaries to a sustainable, natural state, and raising awareness among land managers of the need for improved catchment management.
Since then, the group has:
- Applied successfully for Natural Heritage Trust funding
- Developed maps and management plans for riparian zones
- Undertaken substantial river works including weed clearing; design and construction of solid structures to reduce flow rates; fencing; and revegetation
- Run seminars for land managers
- Involved students from local schools
- Engaged the community.
Sustainable Agriculture
Winner: S.W. Radford Pty Ltd
The business objective of the ‘Hillcrest’ property at Moriarty is to increase productivity on a commercial working farm without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The farm undertakes environmental management systems that have become an integral part of the Whole Farm Planning of the property. A range of sustainable farming practices have been implemented:
- Rational use of pesticides
- Rational use of fertilizers
- Pollution prevention
- Protection of human health
- Efficient use of energy, water and other natural resources
- Recycling and reuse of materials
- Wildlife and landscape conservation and enhancement
- Maintenance of soil.
Achievements include: improved regrowth of bush block, protection of an isolated population of the vulnerable plant species blue pin-cushion (Brunonia Australis), removal of feral cats and return of blue wrens, increased yields and quality of crops, erosion drains installed to prevent soil loss, and a safer farm environment.
Waste Management in the Workplace Award
Winner: Australian Laser Charge
Australian Laser Charge (ALC) is a Hobart based company that re-manufactures and recycles laser printer cartridges nationally and collects and recycles the plastic waste from office consumables throughout Tasmania. The waste is reduced by ALC then sent to a partner company, which reprocesses it into new plastic products. In 2002 ALC's re-manufacturing process alone diverted from landfill 5,000 cardboard boxes, 3,500 aluminium drums and 12,000 cartridges/bottles. It is estimated this saved the equivalent of 115 barrels of oil and 48 trees. Eighty per cent of the waste ALC collects is diverted from landfill. The ultimate goal is zero landfill.