Welcome Welcome to the December 2011 edition of Fertile Minds, the newsletter of Sydney Environmental & Soil Laboratory.
In this issue we remind you of our Christmas break dates, introduce the soils we’re creating for Barangaroo, summarise the proposals to improve waste recovery in NSW, report a radical new irrigation system and bring you some jazz and a book review.
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Stop press! Branching out with the new SESL Australia
Effective 1 January 2012, Sydney Environmental & Soil Laboratory will become SESL Australia. You’ll already have noticed the updated logo.
The change to SESL Australia reflects the dynamics of our company. We are so much more than Sydney, so much more than environmental and soil, and we are so much more than a laboratory. Since the name was chosen in 1983, the company has stretched and morphed spherically into the diverse and dynamic company of today.
SESL Australia builds on the hard work and dedication of many people over the last 28 years. SESL is now truly a national supplier of consultant laboratory services to the horticultural, environmental, mining, waste and agricultural sectors.
The name change also heralds our expansion into Queensland and the employment of our first interstate consultant: Aaron Ashlin joins SESL Australia on 1 January to look after our Queensland and northern NSW clients. We have sorted the logistics to enable a streamlined dispatch and receipt of interstate samples to ensure fast turnaround.
The expansion into Queensland and the support to our existing northern NSW clients is in part driven by our desire to significantly increase sample throughput at the SESL laboratory for tests such as AS3743 (Potting mix), AS4454 (Compost, soil conditioner and mulches), and AS4419 (Landscape and garden soils). These standards are essential to the industries they represent, but the testing involved in each is largely manual and very labour intensive.
SESL is an extremely efficient commercial laboratory, and with most of the testing that we do we follow streamlined systems designed to optimise efficiencies while maximising accuracy and minimising testing times.
Through a significant increase in sample numbers in these important Australian Standards tests, we will achieve further efficiencies through economies of scale.
Naturally, Aaron will be offering the full SESL Australia service package, from field consultancy and sampling through to the full suite of packages and individual analyses. Reporting, including interpretation and recommendations, will come from the existing SESL Australia consultancy team.
Because SESL is not an organisation that lets the grass grow under our feet (bad pun alert!), we are currently seeking to secure the services of an appropriate representative for Victoria. We hope to make an announcement in early 2012.
SESL Christmas break
The SESL offices and laboratory will be closed for Christmas and New Year from 3pm on Friday 23 December 2011 until 9am on Tuesday 3 January 2012.
Because of different lead times, the last day for the receipt of samples will depend on the type of testing required. The cut-offs listed below represent the last day samples can be received and still be reported before Christmas.
Samples that will not deteriorate during holding can be accepted up to close of business on Thursday 22 December for testing and reporting after the New Year. Samples that will deteriorate during holding will not be held.
Cut-off dates
Last date
Test
Fri 9 Dec
general horticultural pathology – check with the lab before sending samples
Thu 15 Dec
toxicity and NDI (AS3743, AS4419 and AS4454)
Fri 16 Dec
microbiology
Mon 19 Dec
BOD and USGA
Tue 20 Dec
chemical testing runs (ICP, SmartChem etc.)
Wed 21 Dec
TN, TC, turf grass pathology and contaminants
Business dates
Date
Details
Thu 22 Dec
last run for the year
Fri 23 Dec
last day for reporting results; lab closes at 3pm
26–30 Dec
lab closed
Mon 2 Jan
New Year’s Day holiday
Tue 3 Jan
business as usual
If in doubt, please call our lab manager, Luzmila Abercrombie, on 02 9980 6554, to discuss.
The Loam Ranger – Recreating Barangaroo soils
The NSW Government’s plans to redevelop the disused container terminal at Darling Harbour into the Barangaroo site include the creation of a 6 ha park at the northern end. Instead of taking the easy option and throwing some soil and trees at the site, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority is showing foresight and sensitivity to Sydney Harbour by planning to recreate the landscape that existed at Millers Point in 1788.
The Headland Park will be landscaped with sandstone and local native plants to complement and blend with the surviving natural headlands, including Mrs Macquarie’s Point, Balls Head, Goat Island and Ballast Point.
SESL has been involved in the plans to recreate the landscape from the beginning of the project.
Camp Quality is a charity that supports children with cancer and their families.
To support Camp Quality in the Illawarra, radio station i98FM runs an annual one-day fundraiser, called the i98FM Camp Quality Convoy.
On 20 November 2011, motorbikes and trucks rolled through the Illawarra from West Cliff Colliery to Albion Park Rail. This year’s convoy raised over $690,000.
To broaden the contribution base and allow people without a truck or motorbike to participate in the fundraising, Derek McMahon, owner of McMahons Transport, hit on the idea of selling sponsorship space on the side of one of his trucks – dubbed the People’s Truck.
SESL contributed, in return for the honour of having its (new!) logo blazoned on the side of the truck for the next 12 months.
Through the People’s Truck, McMahons raised over $42,500 towards the Camp Quality Convoy.
For $20, individuals can get their name on the side of the truck too. Anyone who wants to contribute is welcome to write to Carmal Burgess at carmal@mcmahonsonline.com.au.
Fourth from the right, top row.
Review of waste strategy and policy in NSW
The NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001 recognises the need to reduce waste generation. Under the Act, the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR) Strategy sets out ways to achieve this.
The NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (now the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, OEH) estimated that in 2008–09, the amount of hard waste (not counting CO2 emissions and dairy wastes, for example) generated in NSW (16.3 million tonnes) equated to 2329 kg per person. Of that, 9.5 million tonnes was recycled (58%) and 6.7 million tonnes (42%) went to landfill.
The WARR Strategy has increased recycling (“resource recovery”) in NSW, conserving resources and protecting our environment: since 2002–03, the amount of materials recycled in NSW has increased by 80%, and scarce landfill space has been saved. But more needs to be done.
Under the Act, the WARR Strategy must be reviewed periodically. The most recent review was released in December 2010. It examined the implementation of the WARR Strategy and found that although NSW is close to meeting the targets set for resource recovery, further efforts are needed to close the gap. To this end, the review proposed 23 enhancements to current waste policy and strategy.
Human health depends on food quality. Food quality, in turn, depends on plant nutrition. In particular, plant nutrition determines the contents of protein, vitamins and minerals.
A turbine intake drives air underground through a network of piping that rapidly cools the air to the temperature of the soil, where it reaches 100% humidity and condenses. The water is stored in an underground tank and pumped to the crop roots via subsurface drip irrigation.
Swinburne uni student wins award for irrigation design
Ed Linacre, an industrial design graduate of Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, has won the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Airdrop irrigation system.
In developing the promising new irrigation-by-condensation technique, Linacre has captured the attention of some of the world’s top designers and commercial developers in the USA, Asia and the Middle East.
A small wind-turbine collects the condensed water in an underground tank, and solar energy is used to pump the water directly to plant roots. The prototype system can already deliver up to a litre of water per day depending upon prevailing atmospheric humidity.
Not sure what to give your cattle for Christmas this year? How about a jazz band?
Supercharged Food
Many SESL clients know that over the last 12 months, Murray Fraser has been on a quest to reduce his weight.
Murray says, “I started at just on 112 kg and my holy grail will be reached (by hell or high water) by Xmas Day when I will weigh in at under 80 kg.
“Along the way I have learnt an enormous amount about nutrition and my own body. In a recent medical check up my total cholesterol, blood pressure and everything else were perfect. I owe all this to my diet and self-discipline and hard work.”
A very good friend of Murray’s and an avid supporter of SESL has just released a book. “Supercharged Food is fantastic – it encapsulates everything I’ve learned about healthy eating.”
Lee Holmes’s book is beautifully presented, well researched and well written in a plain-English way. “I can’t speak highly enough about the book and I’m not someone who gives cookbooks a second glance.”
RRP: $34.99
Eat your way to good health in 2012!
Supercharged Food is a simple and inspiring guide to eating for optimum health.
It features more than 90 delicious and wholesome recipes that are all gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar free, each bursting with nutrient-rich or “super” foods that will help nourish and heal your body.
Supercharged Food is a must-have for the increasing number of people suffering from autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s, coeliac disease, IBS, ulcerative colitis, candida and other food allergies and intolerances. Supercharged Food contains flavoursome meals to cleanse the immune system and maintain long-term wellbeing and is based on author Lee Holmes’s own experience with autoimmune disease. With a background in food and nutrition and eager to find a drug-free solution, she became a keen food and health researcher and developed a diet regime that led to her full recovery.
The recipes in Supercharged Food, featuring nutrient-rich supercharged foods such as quinoa, wild salmon, kale, garlic and turmeric, are the perfect way to incorporate wholesome foods into your diet without compromising on taste.
2011 Mud Run
Many of our readers may recall the infamous Mud Run of 2010.
The event was held again (3rd year) on 3 December at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park.
Murray Fraser
competed again this year, although the event was a Dust Run in comparison to the 2010 event. Murray said, “It was well organised and loads of fun. And even though there was nowhere near as much mud and slush this year, it was still a very challenging course with lots of obstacles and testing terrain.
“Yet again I was able to sample and bring home a large volume of soil, albeit lodged, wedged, smeared and packed into cracks and crevices that has made extraction most difficult.”
