CONTRACT GROW THE WAY TO GO

When it comes to meeting deadlines on a landscape build, planning ahead is the only way.

Contributing to environmental improvement, Tubestock Nursery Australia was contracted to grow 12,000 macrophytes for the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility (SBWMF) in Darwin.  In addition, Tubestock Nursery effectively coordinated the transport of the stock from their facility in Caboolture, Queensland, to Shoal Bay in Darwin.

City of Darwin has been working in collaboration with Water and Carbon Group Pty Ltd, a Brisbane-based speciality environmental solutions company, to build a successful Leachate Treatment Plant at Shoal Bay. The treatment plant showcases a unique integration of processes, engineering the new era in PFAS treatment, wastewater treatment and ecology to deliver strong environmental outcomes of lower energy with green infrastructure.

Tubestock Nursery provided the plants to go into the adjacent enhanced wetland evaporation system. The use of vetiver grass (macrophytes) in the final irrigation stage is to absorb the treated leachate and remaining contaminants, achieving the requirements stipulated by the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NT EPA).

THE PRODUCT

Vetiver system technology, which is based on Vetiver grass, has been successfully used as a phytoremediation tool to remediate both polluted water and industrial wastewater due to its extraordinary and unique morphological and physiological characteristics.

Tubestock Nursery supplied the client with 12,000 macrophytes, which are plants that grow in or around bodies of water. Some species may be emergent, with portions of their bodies sitting above the water surface, others submerged or floating. Macrophytes provide cover or substrate for aquatic wildlife, produce oxygen and provide food for some fish species. They have a significant effect on soil chemistry and light levels, as they slow down the flow of water and capture pollutants and trap sediments.

The density, diversity and type of macrophytes existing in any ecosystem can provide an indication of a water body’s health — signifying suitability for wildlife to flourish, recreational use or nutrient dynamics.

A lack of healthy macrophytes can indicate poor water quality such as excessive turbidity or salinisation and will interfere with plant growth and development. Subsequently, too many macrophytes may affect ecosystem health, rendering the waterway unsuitable for human or wildlife use.

THE CLIENT

Veolia has managed and operated SBWMF for the past seven years. It is the home of City of Darwin’s waste and recycling management facility and renewable energy facility.

Veolia, who are recognised as world leaders in waste management and environmental services, hails a new era in waste management in the greater Darwin region. SBWMF receives over 180,000 tonnes of waste per annum and has a forecasted operational life until 2034.

To improve ongoing operational management and meet increasing regulatory and environmental standards, a number of upgrades are underway to advance the facility for the future, one of which is extensive planting of suitable greenlife.

THE SUPPLIER

Tubestock Nursery Australia is a Queensland wholesale nursery managed by a team of qualified horticultural experts. With experience across the nursery, revegetation and landscape construction industries, the team produces high-quality traditional nursery lines and specialises in native Australian tubestock.

Tubestock Nursery’s propagation team have comprehensive knowledge and experience in both aquatic and terrestrial plant propagation. Its nursery site is 8 hectares and is based in Bellmere, Caboolture. The team is assisted by a number of automated seeding and potting machines and conduct scheduled seed collections.

Tubestock produces a wide range of plant species and allocates them based off their unique grow requirements to the ideal growing environment. The nursery Nursery produces stock for Australian east-coast landscape contractors, revegetation contractors and other nurseries, ensuring the quality of plants going into projects will thrive in their respective environments.

PROJECT PARTICULARS
Client Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility, Water and Carbon Group
Location Darwin, Northern Territory
Transport Neil Mansell Transport
Plant Supply Tubestock Nursery Australia