Greenhouse gas emission from sugarcane and mangrove communities in coastal Queensland. Greenhouse gases threaten the global climate. Many estimates of vegetation as sinks and sources for greenhouse gases have a high degree of uncertainty. This project will generate important information about greenhouse gas emissions from Queensland coastal vegetation. Characterised by moist and nutrient rich conditions, sugarcane fields and mangrove ecosystems represent significant sources/sinks of potent green ....Greenhouse gas emission from sugarcane and mangrove communities in coastal Queensland. Greenhouse gases threaten the global climate. Many estimates of vegetation as sinks and sources for greenhouse gases have a high degree of uncertainty. This project will generate important information about greenhouse gas emissions from Queensland coastal vegetation. Characterised by moist and nutrient rich conditions, sugarcane fields and mangrove ecosystems represent significant sources/sinks of potent greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane. Sugarcane and mangroves exposed to different nutrient inputs will allow to (i) identify mechanisms of N2O and CH4 emission, (ii) model N2O and CH4 emissions under different nutrient and climate conditions, and (iii) control/reduce emissions by improving coastal ecosystem management.Read moreRead less
Enhancing Biological Denitrification by Addition of External Carbon Sources: What, Where and When. External carbon addition for enhancing nitrogen removal is being increasingly used by wastewater treatment industry both in Australia and worldwide. This technology adds considerably to the operating cost, to which the non-optimal use of carbon sources has contributed significantly. To ensure long-term optimal denitrification performance with minimal use of external carbon, we will perform the firs ....Enhancing Biological Denitrification by Addition of External Carbon Sources: What, Where and When. External carbon addition for enhancing nitrogen removal is being increasingly used by wastewater treatment industry both in Australia and worldwide. This technology adds considerably to the operating cost, to which the non-optimal use of carbon sources has contributed significantly. To ensure long-term optimal denitrification performance with minimal use of external carbon, we will perform the first comprehensive study of the impact of external carbon addition on the denitrifying community and denitrification performance and, on this basis, answer the questions of what carbon sources should be used, where and when/how they should be added under various process design and operational conditions.Read moreRead less
Locating jobs to improve urban sustainability: investigating the Transport Impacts of Employment Decentralisation in Australian Cities (TIEDAC). This project investigates how the relocation of public sector employment to suburban nodes can improve the efficiency of Australian cities. The project will identify transport efficiencies from employment decentralisation that can reduce infrastructure costs for governments and reduce commuting distances for Australian urban residents.
Reconstructing land tenure maps of Australia in 3D. Existing land tenure maps of above and below ground, such as apartment ownership, tunnels, and mining, are maintained using 2D drawings. However, the drawings are not structured and valuable for detailed and advanced visualisation, analytics, and simulation, which are essential for testing potential interventions and policy development. This project aims to develop a data validation framework for transforming current drawings and reconstructing ....Reconstructing land tenure maps of Australia in 3D. Existing land tenure maps of above and below ground, such as apartment ownership, tunnels, and mining, are maintained using 2D drawings. However, the drawings are not structured and valuable for detailed and advanced visualisation, analytics, and simulation, which are essential for testing potential interventions and policy development. This project aims to develop a data validation framework for transforming current drawings and reconstructing them into 3D models. The outcomes include validation principles, formal mathematical terms, and computational algorithms. Benefits include a cost-effective onshore alternative to offshore 3D reconstruction practices, efficient land development and infrastructure planning, and fewer property disputes.Read moreRead less
Transformations of catchment nutrients in southeast Queensland. Human activity in catchments throughout southeast Queensland has increased nutrient loads in receiving waters. However, until recently there has been a lack of accurate quantification of these loads, and little understanding of their role in stimulating algal blooms. This proposal will examine the links between catchment nutrient inputs to waterways, their transformations and effects on stimulating algal growth in freshwater systems ....Transformations of catchment nutrients in southeast Queensland. Human activity in catchments throughout southeast Queensland has increased nutrient loads in receiving waters. However, until recently there has been a lack of accurate quantification of these loads, and little understanding of their role in stimulating algal blooms. This proposal will examine the links between catchment nutrient inputs to waterways, their transformations and effects on stimulating algal growth in freshwater systems. The outcomes from this research will be information on how catchment nutrients are affecting water quality, thus providing a vehicle for targeting management strategies designed to reduce nutrient loads.Read moreRead less
Optimal management of corrosion and odour problems in sewer systems. Pollutants in wastewater undergo complex changes in sewers, leading to the production and release of odorous and corrosive compounds. Despite major efforts and expenditure by water utilities to mitigate these problems, odorous emissions from sewers are still commonly occurring in urban areas. Furthermore, the value of public assets is significantly diminished due to sewer corrosion, costing hundreds of millions of dollars a yea ....Optimal management of corrosion and odour problems in sewer systems. Pollutants in wastewater undergo complex changes in sewers, leading to the production and release of odorous and corrosive compounds. Despite major efforts and expenditure by water utilities to mitigate these problems, odorous emissions from sewers are still commonly occurring in urban areas. Furthermore, the value of public assets is significantly diminished due to sewer corrosion, costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year in Australia alone. This project is a major joint effort by the Australian water industry and world-leading scientists to generate advanced knowledge and develop effective technologies for optimal odour and corrosion management in sewers, delivering large social, environmental and economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Patterns of connectivity and hot-spots of recruitment: a basis for prioritising high value coastal rivers. Provision of water for agricultural, industrial and residential use is becoming increasingly difficult in Australia. By determining the need for important migratory fish species to have access to marine conditions, this project aims to assist managers to identify river systems where changing flow patterns will be particularly detrimental. The project will provide information about the ne ....Patterns of connectivity and hot-spots of recruitment: a basis for prioritising high value coastal rivers. Provision of water for agricultural, industrial and residential use is becoming increasingly difficult in Australia. By determining the need for important migratory fish species to have access to marine conditions, this project aims to assist managers to identify river systems where changing flow patterns will be particularly detrimental. The project will provide information about the need for artificial opening of estuary mouths, fish ladders and other practical means to ensure the continued survival of these species. Read moreRead less
Understanding the Biotransformation Processes in a Sewer System to Achieve Optimal Management. Sewer corrosion and odour emissions are incurring massive costs to the wastewater management authorities. These problems are primarily caused by the hydrogen sulfide produced by the in-sewer biotransformation processes. Through integrating controlled laboratory experiments, extensive field measurement/experiments and advanced computer modelling, the project aims to generate a fundamental understanding ....Understanding the Biotransformation Processes in a Sewer System to Achieve Optimal Management. Sewer corrosion and odour emissions are incurring massive costs to the wastewater management authorities. These problems are primarily caused by the hydrogen sulfide produced by the in-sewer biotransformation processes. Through integrating controlled laboratory experiments, extensive field measurement/experiments and advanced computer modelling, the project aims to generate a fundamental understanding of the in-sewer biotransformation processes, in particular those occurring in sewer biofilms and sediments, and to provide scientific and engineering support to the wastewater authorities to manage their sewers in a more cost-effective way. Emphasis is placed on the integrated sewer and wastewater treatment performance to achieve overall optimal wastewater management.Read moreRead less
Understanding and mitigating nitrous oxide emission from wastewater treatment plants. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most serious challenges that mankind is facing. Substantial reduction in emissions must be achieved, with responsibility to be shared by all industrial sectors. Wastewater systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through not only energy consumptions but also direct emissions of fugitive greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. This project aim ....Understanding and mitigating nitrous oxide emission from wastewater treatment plants. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most serious challenges that mankind is facing. Substantial reduction in emissions must be achieved, with responsibility to be shared by all industrial sectors. Wastewater systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through not only energy consumptions but also direct emissions of fugitive greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. This project aims to provide knowledge and technology support to the Australian wastewater industry to minimize the emission of nitrous oxide during biological nitrogen removal from wastewater. This is critically important for this industry to achieve greenhouse gas neutral wastewater management.Read moreRead less
Farmer Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. The research project will identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the grazing industry in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. Current agricultural extension approaches to environmental innovations in grazing have been criticised for their inability to facilitate rapid implementation of necessary on-ground changes. This research is s ....Farmer Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. The research project will identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption of sustainable land management practices in the grazing industry in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland. Current agricultural extension approaches to environmental innovations in grazing have been criticised for their inability to facilitate rapid implementation of necessary on-ground changes. This research is significant in identifying key socio-economic and environmental factors that need to be considered in developing regional policy approaches to sustainable agricultural development. Outcomes will include better uptake of environmental measures by graziers and policy advice to government and industry on sustainable development options.Read moreRead less