Environmental engineering
There is an urgent need for ecosystem restoration.听The听United Nations has declared 2021-2030 the听. This global effort aims to massively up-scale the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems as a proven measure to restore ecosystem services, fight the climate crisis and enhance food security, water supply and biodiversity.
Our environmental team (EcoEng @ WRL) places a strong emphasis on partnerships, collaborations and joint studies. While our research focuses on the water-based processes in the environment, we value our partnerships with the ecological, economic, management and engagement experts. We encourage other groups to develop partnerships and establish contacts to ensure we have the best understanding of a community, including local concerns and global implications. With an outstanding, enthusiastic and committed team of scientists, engineers and cross-disciplinary colleagues, the group draws upon its extensive research and experience to provide innovative and effective answers to complex ecosystem engineering questions throughout Australia and overseas.
Key areas
Restoration and creation of wetlands and waterways:听Nature is complex. Endangered ecological communities exist in a fine balance, influenced by numerous factors. Over the past 20+ years we have restored some of the largest and most complex ecosystems in Australia.
Priority decisions and engagement:听Wicked problems require, prioritised solutions. We utilise several engineering/project management decision-making software systems to prioritise restoration actions, climate vulnerability, economic benefit analyses, etc. We also regularly work with local communities and government to develop educational modules and demonstration projects.
Remediation of contaminated or threatened ecosystems:听Eco-engineering combines engineering principles with ecosystem restoration practice. One of our key strengths is linking these disciplines to听restore waterway health, redesign landscapes and create new habitats that are safe for the community and based on sound ecological principles. To date, we have specialised in acidic, eutrophic, and PFAS contaminated environments and associated remediation.
Climate change assessment and response:听Exploring and quantifying听local scale impacts, assessing waterway risk, designing adaptation strategies and infrastructure, using physical and numerical models for further understanding, communicating with stakeholders and communities.
Expertise
- Waterway and wetland restoration and management听
- Climate change risk assessments for waterways
- Hydrodynamic and water quality modelling for rivers, estuaries, lakes and wetlands听
- Field data collection, analysis and monitoring听
- Eco-hydrology assessments of intertidal systems (saltmarsh, mangrove, etc.)
- Acid sulphate soils investigation and remediation听
- Floodgate and infrastructure design (including SmartGates and SwingGates)听
- Riverbank erosion vulnerability assessments
- Water quality sampling and sediment transport studies
- Interactive GIS mapping and geospatial analysis techniques
- Groundwater and connected water investigations听听听
- Green and Golden Bell frog habitat design
- Comprehensive and interdisciplinary project management
- Understanding anthropogenic impacts on fish, flora, fauna
- Development of Best Practice Manuals
- Expert Panel, Board and Commission involvement
Example projects
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Assessing the impacts of climate change in estuaries is a complex task. To help navigate this complexity, a multi-report guide has been designed for estuarine managers, scientists, practitioners and coastal communities. The guide provides a summary of the relevant climate, ocean and ecosystem science along with best-practice frameworks for prioritising climate risks in estuaries.
This project was awarded the 2019 NSW Coastal Management Award for Innovation, at the Annual NSW Coastal Conference.听
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Since 2004, WRL has been working in collaboration with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) to transform the Tomago Wetlands site from a large acidic landscape into a restored productive tidal wetland. The wetland is being created to compensate for migratory wading bird habitat destroyed elsewhere in the lower Hunter River estuary.
Winner of the 2013 National Trust of Australia鈥檚 Award for Conservation, and 2014 Engineering Excellence Award.
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What began as a two year collaborative project, has turned a large acidic landscape into a new tidal wetland. WRL, working with Greater Taree City Council and WetlandCare Australia, have undertaken a comprehensive scientific study to identify and remediate high priority acid farmlands on the Big Swamp floodplain, near Taree, NSW. For many years, the site has been listed as one of the three worst ASS hotspots in NSW.
Winner of the 2015 Green Globe Award for Natural Environment Sustainability.
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WRL has been working with OceanWatch Australia to support their vision of restoring oyster reefs to Sydney Harbour and elsewhere on the Australian coast. While many great ideas are being trialled in the ecological engineering discipline, our research links practical engineering solutions with innovative performance testing to inform designs.
