The Overflow by Osprey Marketing

Quarterly Publication of Irrigation Australia (WA Region)

No. 56 AUTUMN 2019

In this issue Changes to fertiliser & irrigation management

Sting nematode research part 4

Carrington Park redevelopment

Irrigation innovations to tackle groundwater issues

Kikuyu stacks up in summer as an irrigation pasture

Nutrient rich waste water irrigating 2,000 citrus trees

Public green infrastructure contributes to city liveability

Detect a leak with Water Corp's new & improved tool The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Contents

Chairman's Report by Clinton Hort - IAL (WA) Industry Chairman

Detect a leak with Water Corp's new & improved tool

Changes to fertiliser & irrigation management to improve water quality

Carrington Park redevelopment

Kikuyu stacks up in summer as an irrigation pasture

Organic mulching with an edge

Sting nematode research part 4

Public green infrastructure contributes to city liveability

Irrigation innovations to tackle groundwater issues in WA new community 24 Nutrient rich waste water irrigating 2,000 citrus trees

The Overflow is the quarterly publication of Irrigation Australia (WA Region). Articles published are views expressed by the authors. IAL(WA) is not responsible for their accuracy and disclaims any liability which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. Editorial content does not necessarily represent the views or policy of Irrigation Australia (WA Region)

Keep up-to-date with irrigation in Australia, visit the IAL website at www.irrigation.org.au

Dear Members,

Mark Your Diary June 13 Soil/Water/Plant Relationship Workshop - Richgro 18 – 20 Landscape Irrigation Conference & Exhibition Gold Coast, QLD 25 & 26 Irrigation Pumps & Systems – Wembley July 23 & 24 Meter Validation & Installation – Harvey

Publisher/Editor: IAL WA REGION, PO Box 61 , Victoria Park, WA 6979 Tel (08) 9368 3136 August 14 2019 Waterwise Irrigation Expo 20 – 23 Certificate III in Irrigation – Block 2

National Contacts Bryan Ward - Chief Executive Officer Geoff Harvey - National Training & Marketing Manager Marike Froneman - Accountant (part time) Andres Jaramillo - Training and Certification Officer Chris Delphin - Business Administration Manager Kahla McKinless - Training & Certification Assistant Tracy Martin-National Membership & Regions Manager

bryan.ward@irrigation.org.au geoff.harvey@irrigation.org.au marike.froneman@irrigation.org.au andres.jaramillo@irrigation.org.au chris.delphin@irrigation.org.au kahla.mckinless@irrigation.org.au tracy.martin@irrigation.org.au

September 17 Introduction to Irrigation – Urban For further information, please contact Ellen Slobe on (08) 9368 3136 or ellen.slobe@irrigation.org.au

Welcome to this Autumn edition of The Overflow magazine. Despite some wet conditions in April, Perth and many parts of WA have experienced an extremely dry start to the year, highlighting the ever-growing pressures on maintaining green liveable spaces in the community. Recent presentations at industry events, media reports and advertising campaigns are highlighting the increasing pressures on water resources and the importance of conserving water to protect future resources. Our industry can contribute greatly through increasing water use efficiencies in all aspects of the

irrigation supply-chain, in all areas; be it agricultural, domestic or commercial. As an industry, we must work together for a successful journey towards a more “Waterwise” Perth & greater WA. Delegate registrations for the 2019 Waterwise Irrigation Expo have now opened. See the centre pages for details on how to register. This biennial event will be held on Wednesday, 14th August at the Optus Stadium. The Organising Committee has an excellent line-up of presenters, including opening ceremony presentations from Hon Dave Kelly - Minister for Water, Mike Rowe – Director General of Dept of Water & Environment and Pat Donovan; New

CEO of Water Corporation as well as keynote speaker; Jarrod Hill; Director of SportEng. Rotational groups sessions will cover various components surrounding Optus Stadium including the iron filtration backwash, landscape precinct design, as well as sessions on irrigation design and integrated water cycle management, including rainwater harvesting. All providing an excellent opportunity for learning at this iconic Perth location. I look forward to seeing you there. Enjoy the rest of this Overflow issue.

the Waterwise program, an initiative between the Department of Water, Water Corporation, Irrigation Australia and our many Waterwise members in the region. This model of how regulators, water authorities and industry can work together to educate water consumers is well suited to other regions and Irrigation Australia is promoting this as a real opportunity in states such as QLD, NSW & VIC. What we are experiencing across Australia could well become the ‘new normal’ and WA provides a great example of what can be achieved when all parties work together to tackle a difficult situation. Seqwater, the Queensland Government statutory authority responsible for providing a safe, secure and cost-effective bulk drinking water supply for 3.1 million people across South East Queensland has agreed to be the major sponsor of the Landscape Irrigation Conference &

Exhibition to be held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre from 18 to 20 June and they have taken this opportunity to host a workshop to discuss a range of irrigation water efficiency programs as well as seek feedback from irrigators on a suite of actions to improve water efficiency in SEQ. Irrigation Australia welcomes their participation as there is no better time to have a conversation about the impact of water restrictions than now. We have been very pleased with the quality of the Case Studies on offer at this event, every council in Australia should be interested and represented at this event if they are serious about the efficient use of water. Many of Australia’s leading suppliers of equipment and technology will be present to showcase their products and know-how. We look forward to seeing as many members from WA as possible at this event.

From the CEO Bryan Ward

WA Contact For more details on upcoming courses and events, please contact: Ellen Slobe IAL WA Projects Officer on (08) 9368 3136 Mobile: 0458 291 643 email: ellen.slobe@irrigation.org.au Cover: Member event - Carrington Park redevelopment - City of Nedlands. See page 8

Authorised sprinkler testing signs If you are testing a system outside of water rostering hours, as a gardening industry professional, you are not required to register for an exemption with the Water Corporation. However, to promote that you are doing authorised work, you might like to have a sign clearly displayed at the front of the property. These signs are available from the IAL (WA). Now available in: Corflute ($25) and Magnetic ($75). GST Exclusive. All signs approximately 400mm x 300mm. For enquires and order form please contact our WA office on (08) 9368 3136.

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Dear Members,

It’s becoming a very tough year for irrigators and domestic water users across Australia, the predicted El Nino pattern has certainly occurred and the reduced rainfall and warmer temperatures are resulting in reduced water storages and drought planning has commenced in many Australian regions. The commissioning of the desalination plant in Sydney has started and water restrictions will commence once storages fall from their current 55% to 50%. Storages in South East Queensland have been falling and currently sitting around 70% which is the trigger point for drought planning. Western Australians are well used to operating in a restricted water environment and desalination is just one of the measures employed to ensure the state has sufficient water resources. The other key measure is

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Regional Update Tracy Martin - National Membership & Regions Manager and Ellen Slobe - WA Projects Officer

Carrington Park Member Event The first member event for year was held on Tuesday, 26th March at Carrington Park, Nedlands. Members enjoyed a barbecue breakfast and barista coffee while networking with other members prior to the presentation. Craig New, Parks Coordinator (Irrigation) provided participants with background information relating to the City’s Environment Management Plan, challenges related to the redevelopment of a popular dog park, the installation of anti-digging mesh and the integration with the Council’s weather stations and smart irrigation control system. Engineer Irene Chiang provided an overview on the design and installation of the subterranean drainage and Nathan spoke about some of the new irrigation technology in use including wetting agents and smart irrigation technology. See pg 8 to read an article supplied by City of Nedlands on the Carrington Park redevelopment. These free member events continue to reach maximum capacity well before registration closing dates, so if you’d like to attend a future event, please register early. An invitation to the next member event will be distributed by email to Irrigation Australia members in coming weeks.

2019 WA Expo Planning for this event is well underway and open for registration to delegates. See the centre pages 16 & 17 for more information. Training The calendar of training has once again commenced for the 2019 season. An Irrigation Efficiency Course was delivered by IAL trainer, Paul Willmott on 2nd & 3rd April in South Perth. The first block of the Certificate III in Irrigation course commenced on 7th May, to be followed up with a second block of 4 days in August. Please see the diary on the inside cover for upcoming training. Waterwise There have been various events held over past months where Waterwise professionals have been promoted and Waterwise Sprinkler Run Time flyers have been distributed including the Perth Garden Festival in April and Kalamunda Garden Festival in January. Auditing of Waterwise members is undertaken annually with a number of members from both Waterwise Irrigation Programs selected at random. Waterwise Garden Irrigator members who are randomly selected

will be required to submit details of two sites where an irrigation system has been installed in the past 12 months. Responses to previous audit requests have demonstrated that many members are working purely in repairs and maintenance. The Waterwise Committee recognises that there are challenges involved with conducting a fair audit on repair work carried out on a site where they must deal with sub-optimal design, installation or subsequent lack of maintenance. A new audit reporting process will be trialled this year where members working purely in service and repair will be able to submit evidence to demonstrate adherence to Waterwise specifications. As in previous years, several Waterwise Irrigation Design Shops will also be randomly selected for audit in a ‘mystery shop’ style assessment. Compliance to the audit and reendorsement process can be timeconsuming for members, but these are key components of the Waterwise Programs, providing the community and stakeholders the assurance that members employ best practice standards in their day-to-day business. If you have any queries or feedback regarding this process, please don’t hesitate to contact the IAL WA office.

In Memoriam: Sean Trainor It was with great sadness that the irrigation industry farewelled Sean Trainor who passed away in January. Sean commenced his career in 1988 with a prominent wholesale irrigation company working across the irrigation, mining, industrial, plumbing and OEM markets, developing a thorough understanding of irrigation and hydraulic components and their applications. In 1993 Sean moved into commercial irrigation and spent the next 17 years working for Malua Reticulation and Total Eden Watering Systems. Sean's experience in business operations, project management, CAD drafting, construction, procurement, and job costing management was extensive. Joining CADsult Independent Design Consultants in 2010, Sean worked on some of Perth's most significant infrastructure redevelopments. Our sincere condolences to his wife Cheryl, children and family.

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Detect a leak with Water Corporation’s new and improved tool Leaks can be wasteful and extremely costly if they go undetected. Dripping taps and shower head leaks are generally more noticeable than others with the likes of irrigation leaks often going unnoticed for months wasting precious water and money. Since July 2018, Water Corporation has had more than 7,000 customers apply for a leak allowance. The lead up to the Winter Sprinkler Switch-off – which applies to all scheme and bore water users in Perth Mandurah and some parts of the South West from 1 June to 31 August – is a timely reminder to seek a leak.

NEW

Xpando® Director

Connects threaded sprinkler risers to rigid sprinkler lateral pipework

Water Corporation’s online leak detection tool takes just 15 minutes and helps customers to identify if they have a leak. Since its launch last year, Water Corporation have been busy making continuous improvements to the tool popular, including: • Categorising leaks as low, medium or high; • Displaying the water leak amount in litres per hour and litres per day • Indicating the cost of the leak per bill and per annum; and • Providing tailored tips based on the size of the leak. During Seek a Leak Week, which ran from March 18 to 24, more than 14,000 customers utilised the tool. This suggests leaks are widespread and something customers are interested in getting help to fix. Spread the word and help seek a leak today. Go to: www.watercorporation.com.au/leaks

Putting water where it counts!® www.antelco.com

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Above: Farmers discussing how to calculate their fertiliser rates based on soil test results

Above : Australind residents, Christine and Brent Cullimore, during their in-home garden consultation as a part of the Love the Leschenault program

Changes to fertiliser and irriga tion management improving water quality The State Government’s Regional Estuaries Initiative is helping residents and farmers reduce their fertiliser costs while improving the health of our rivers and estuaries. As a part of the Love the Leschenault and Bay OK programs, residents in the Busselton and Bunbury regions have reduced fertiliser pollution in local waterways by around 3200kgs – the equivalent of 22 general waste wheelie bins. Nutrient run-off can cause excessive algal growth in our waterways leading to algal blooms that damage freshwater ecosystems. Risks of more severe algal blooms have increased in areas of the State where declining rainfall as a result of climate change has reduced flows and flushing of our rivers. More than 480 householders in Australind, Bovell and Yalyalup received personalised garden advice as part of the programs. This included over-the-phone coaching, in-home garden consultations, feedback letters and community garden workshops. After being surveyed about their fertiliser and irrigation habits, residents were offered tips from garden experts on small changes to lessen nutrient run-off into local waterways – such as avoiding the use of manures, using soil improvers to increase water retention, and cutting irrigation times by a couple of minutes.

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

From the phone conversations, residents whose gardens were more likely to leach nutrients were identified and offered free, in-home garden visits. They received a fertiliser measuring cup, information on how to build soil structure to reduce the amount of fertiliser their gardens require and free controlled release fertiliser to replace high nutrient and fast release fertilisers. An independent evaluation of the program for the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation showed a commitment by participants to changing fertiliser and irrigation regimes to reduce fertiliser run-off. Anya Lam, Regional Estuaries Initiative Coordinator, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, said that the program showed how easy it was to make one or two small changes that really add up. “We have seen a 16 per cent reduction in the amount of nutrients applied to gardens by program participants. “Once people realised that what they do in their garden has an impact on the environment they were happy to make some small adjustments. By using the right fertiliser less often, they can save money and protect waterways,” Anya said. Farmers are also working towards improved water quality for our estuaries with the Regional Estuaries Initiative soil testing program.

The program has helped hundreds of farmers increase productivity through independently accredited soil testing, ensuring nutrients stay on the farm and out of waterways and estuaries. The long farming history across the South West has seen nutrients build up in soil and as a result, the excess nutrients are washed into nearby waterways where they can damage the environment. In the latest round of farmer workshops held in the region, more than 170 farmers unearthed how to maximise soil requirements thanks to soil sampling, testing, agronomic advice and plant tissue testing. This testing allows farmers to estimate how much of each key nutrient is in their paddock, whether acidity affects nutrient availability for plants and how much of each nutrient they should be applying to achieve desired production rates. “Each farm is uniquely different – from soil type, nutrient quantities, landscape, rainfall and what is being produced. There isn’t just one answer to how much fertiliser should I use?” Anya said. “Without testing the soil, farmers could be spending valuable money and time on applying products that are not going to improve productivity.”

Of the 220,000 hectares sampled and analysed, data shows 65 to 80 per cent of paddocks had more than enough phosphorous for desired production, while 80 to 100 per cent were too acidic. Around 50 per cent of paddocks contained insufficient potassium or sulphur. “By spending money on treating soil acidity or applying limiting nutrients rather than phosphorous, farmers can increase production and prevent fertiliser from being washed off the farm,” Anya said. Love the Leschenault is part of the State Government's $20 million Regional Estuaries Initiative, and GeoCatch's Bay OK project is supported by the State Government's Revitalising Geographe Waterways program. The farm soil testing program is a partnership between the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and local catchment groups: Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, Leschenault Catchment Council, GeoCatch, Lower Blackwood Landcare, Wilson Inlet Catchment Council and the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group. To find out more about the Regional Estuaries Initiative’s garden and soil testing programs please visit: https://rei.dwer.wa.gov.au

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Weather station To assist in irrigation scheduling, the City has 3 weather stations (Campbell Scientific WeatherHawk”) positioned strategically to include the varying weather conditions influenced by the Swan River, Indian Ocean and City streetscapes. These stations analyse the temperature, rainfall, wind strength and evapotranspiration. This data is then used to calculate the irrigation requirements, and through the SDS controllers, an automatic adjustment of run times is completed.

Carrington Park Redevelopment Article by Craig New - Parks Coordinator Irrigation, City of Nedlands

The Carrington Park dog park is located on four freehold lots (#2 & 4 Weld Street and 1A & 3 Broome Street Nedlands). The lots were purchased by the City between 1938 and 1946. In late 2017, the park was identified as a high priority in the City’s Enviro-scape Master Plan (EMP) which has an ongoing commitment to improving infiltration of rainwater back into the aquifer and decreasing water usage through better technology and smarter planning including hydrozoning. After several rounds of community consultation, a final redevelopment design was agreed upon and covered off on the following: • Provide fenced area where dogs can run but not too far including airlock gates to perimeter • Provide separate areas for children (east) and dogs off leash (west) • Provide tactile materials including sand and long grass • Provide amenities for users (parking, seating, shade) • Provide dog poo stations • Minimise impact on neighbours • Provide water supply • Include principles of eco-zoning and hydro-zoning

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

• Include opportunity for drainage infiltration considering park is lowest point in catchment.

Anti-digging mesh The semi-rigid plastic mesh protects the ground from being compacted, stops dogs from digging up the area and stops grass stolons, leaf and roots from being worn out by dogs. It has been over-seeded with winter grasses.

Fertigation system The City also uses EZFLO Injection Systems, which are based on pressure differentiation, and can apply Wetting Agent & liquid fertilizer through micro dosing and applies a calculated amount applied through the sprinklers.

NETAFIM DRIP SMART WATER USAGE

TECHLINE™ AS XR SUPERIOR DRIPPERLINE SOLUTION

DRIVING CHANGE WITH PRECISION IRRIGATION

City of Nedlands Mayor Max Hipkins said at the time of redevelopment “we need to make sure the park meets future needs and uses, which means we must keep the infrastructure up to standard”.

TECHLINE AS XR

“The redevelopment plan looked at the natural and built environment, water quality and conservation, as well as accessibility, community use and ensuring the park was fit-for-purpose” he said.

Emitter is infused with Copper Oxide to mitigate root intrusion (XR). Prevents contaminates from being drawn into the dripper (AS).

The City’s Enviro-scape Master Plan was developed to ensure community needs were met in the most economical way possible for the park’s lifespan.

Precise and equal amount of water being delivered over a broad pressure range. TurboNet™ labyrinth assures wide water passages and improves clogging resistance.

Drainage The drainage was reconfigured so 332 cubic metres of stormwater can be captured in the subterranean drainage facility. Captured water passes through the soil to the aquifer below and can be re-drawn from a bore for irrigation. P 1300 307 407 W www.netafim.com.au

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Research has highlighted that the most profitable pastures get the right amount of water at the right time

Kikuyu stacks up in summer as an irrigated pasture In many areas of Australia, Kikuyu has become the dominant summer dairy pasture. Water use efficiency with good quality water has been shown to be close to that of maize and twice as high as perennial ryegrass in summer. The summer growth of kikuyu can be high but it’s low quality can limit milk production. However, with good grazing management reasonable metabolizable energy values of 9.5 to 10 MJ/kg DM can be achieved. Kikuyu has a polarising effect on farmer attitude in Western Australia. Some irrigation farmers embrace it for summer grazing while others prefer perennial ryegrass and summer crop alternatives. Further complicating the production potential of kikuyu is the variable quality of water used across the irrigation regions. Kikuyu is known to be sensitive to salt at 3 to 6 dS/m and accumulated salt levels in the soil were higher than this in a Western Dairy Smarter Irrigation project in 2017/18.

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Article by Western Dairy

Kikuyu production can be maximised with the correct soil moisture, soil nutrients and grazing management. This year, Western Dairy established four demonstration sites that represent different irrigation scenarios and nitrogen applications. The question that Western Dairy is seeking to answer is “Does Kikuyu stack up with other home-grown and purchased feeds?” In the summer of 2018/19 Western Dairy is measuring the performance of kikuyu pasture grown under irrigation in Western Australian dairy systems. Best management practices for simulated grazing management were used at each site. All sites were on dairy grazing platforms with naturally established kikuyu pastures; 1. Centre pivot – fresh water - Harvey catchment (Harvey Agricultural College) 2. Surface irrigation – fresh water (0.46 dS/m) – Harvey catchment, 2 sites

Figure 1 - Harvest 2 at Harvey Agricultural College, 28th December 2018

3. Surface irrigation – salt load water (2.32 dS/m) – Collie catchment

farmers used real-time soil moisture curves generated from the Wildeye telemetry to schedule irrigation events.

Getting the soil moisture right Research has highlighted that the most profitable pastures get the right amount of water at the right time. Irrigation scheduling can be managed by knowing your; • Readily available water (RAW, mm of water that the soil will hold) • Evapotranspiration (mm of water/day removed by evaporation and plant use) • Irrigation system capacity (mm/day the irrigation system can deliver)

Getting the nutrients right Summer growth rates of 80 to 150kg DM/day are possible in fertile soils with adequate nutrients. When phosphorous levels are adequate regular applications of nitrogen at a suggested rate of 1.2 units of N per day will maximise kikuyu production from November to March. In the Western Dairy project the growth response to nitrogen was measured using rates of 0, 1.2, 2.4 and 3.6 units of N/day.

Getting any of these wrong can lead to the “green drought”. In a green drought there is enough water to keep the pasture green, but the soil moisture deficit restricts the ability of the plant to extract the required water for high production. Soil moisture sensors are useful tools for scheduling irrigation events to maintain readily available water for plant growth. In the Western Dairy project, Wildeye soil moisture probes were installed at each site and

Cumulative yield from the first four harvests A clear pattern emerged from the summer harvests. Figure updates that take into account all harvests for the season. (Refer Figure 2) There are at least two advantages that the centre pivot provides that resulted in less water stress to the plants. First, watering events were more frequent: 4 days between applications for centre pivot (Figure 3) vs ~14 days for

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surface irrigation (Figure 4). Second, lower volume of water in each centre pivot application. After each surface irrigation event the soil reached field capacity for several days which tends to starve plants of oxygen during the period of waterlogging. The growth of the oxygen stressed plants is much reduced during this phase. In addition, surface irrigated soils often dry to wilting point of the plants before the next scheduled irrigation, resulting in another brief period of reduced plant growth. Unexpectedly, within the surface irrigated areas, the production of the plots irrigated with salt-load water was at least as high as the fresh water plots (Figure 2). In 2019 the Wellington dam water from the Collie catchment contained total dissolved salts of 253-262 mg/L which is equivalent to ~2.32 dS/m. kikuyu is known to tolerate salinity at these levels. In addition, the site selected for the salt-load surface irrigation was free draining and it is likely that salt did not accumulating in the soil. Soil tests will indicate changes in soil salinity over the season. There was a linear production response to nitrogen rate (Figure 5). On average across all sites there was a 1 T/ha increase in dry matter yield in response to an increase of 1 unit of nitrogen/ha per day. The intention was to identify the

maximum growth response to nitrogen rate. However, there was no decrease in growth response at the highest application rate, indicating that the ceiling was not reached. The high rates of nitrogen applications were used to observe the production potential of kikuyu but are not endorsed for commercial applications. The production benefits at the higher rates of nitrogen may be outweighed by the cost of production, the possibility of nitrate leakage from the soil and nitrate poisoning of livestock. Plant tissue test will determine the levels of nitrate accumulation in the leaf. Under centre pivot irrigation, the water use efficiency of the kikuyu was 4 T of dry matter/megalitre of water, which is extremely efficient for a summer crop and comparable to maize. The cost of metabolisable energy was 0.5 cents per megajoule making it cheaper than all other feeds examined, including home grown and purchased feed. The full set of results can be viewed on the Western Dairy website. The results include dry matter yields, feed quality, water use efficiency and cost comparisons. We can now be confident that Kikuyu does stack up with other feeds on the basis of; Tonnes of dry matter/megalitre of water; $/Tonne of dry matter; cents/Megajoule of metabolizable energy; and $/Kg of crude proteinâ&#x20AC;?.

Figure 4. Surface irrigation soil moisture curves from wildeye sensors.

Figure 5. The effect of nitrogen dose on average cumulative yield from four sites from 16 November to 5th April

Figure 2. Average cumulative yields after six harvests from 16th November to 5th April

Thinking Reticulation & Water Management Systems...

THINK WATER

FULL RANGE OF PUMPS, FILTRATION, TANKS & WATER STORAGE, PIPES & FITTINGS AND MORE Figure 3. Pivot irrigation soil moisture curves from wildeye sensors. Note: Two probes were placed in the soil at 10 and 30cm. The key on the left corresponds with the line on the graph. The vertical axis is the volumetric water capacity % (how much water is in the soil). Each blue line peak represents a watering day.

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THINK WATER PERTH: P (08) 9256 6503 | E sales@twperth.com.au | 27 Bannick Court Canning Vale WA 6155

ORGANIC MULCHING WITH AN EDGE Article by Richgro

In Western Australia, mulching is a standard garden and landscaping practice. Organic mulches have always been a popular choice as they eventually break down and add organic matter to the soil . Ultimately, they are more beneficial to long term soil improvement and this is critically important, especially in agriculture and the quality of ecosystem services provided to the community. The increasing demand for good produce and market competition has forced farmers to deliver more higher-quality fruits and vegetables. Use of organic mulching is one of the suitable methods which could help the horticultural growers to supply good quality produce.

addition of the organic liquid nutrient to boost the composting process and enhance nutrition. The production of the mulch itself go through an innovative composting process where the material is pasteurized for a period of 6 weeks through a closed tunnelling system. This system holds the blended mulch at an exact moisture level and temperature for a pre-determined time to ensure the mulch is pasteurized and fully composted whilst activating the naturally occurring microbes. This mulch is being marketed into areas of larger application such as shire verges, entrance to development estates, vineyards and the horticultural sector with very promising results.

Organic mulches are referred to as materials that are or once were living plant materials and are placed on the soil surface to prevent erosion, weed germination, and reduce evaporation. Organic materials such as bark chips, grass clippings, wheat or straw, plant leaves, compost, and sawdust have traditionally been used. It decays over time and it increases the water holding capacity of soil, providing the soil with nutrients as it breaks down. It also improves water use efficiency indirectly. A mulched layer restricts the weed growth by obstructing light penetration to the soil surface. Organic Mulches are typically good for the soil and the environment, but Richgro is taking it one step further by using innovative technology to enhance the nutritional component of such mulches. In 2015 Richgro launched their own on site Anaerobic Digester (AD) plant – a first of its kind in Western Australia. In addition to reducing the amount of food waste from ending up in landfill, Richgro’s anaerobic digester plant produces clean energy and power that can be used by Western Australian households.

• • • •

Since refining its operations, the AD plant process is now also able to extract successfully, out of the waste, a nutritious organic liquid nutrient additive that works like magic in a base organic mulch.

• •

This new mulch which is being call Dynagro Mulch is a composted organic material based on green waste with the Above: Richgro's Anaerobic Digestor Plant

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The Waterwise Expo will consist of a trade show and rotational educational seminars. The seminars will consist of several groups visiting various locations within Optus Stadium on a rotational basis throughout the day. Each group will have a dedicated tour guide to escort participants to each location, and a dedicated industry expert on hand to discuss the specific topic(s) and infrastructure. Exhibitors and Delegates will both benefit from a dedicated time slot within the Trade Show for each group to engage with industry suppliers and see the latest technologies on show. 16

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ENTRY TO TRADE SHOW ONLY IS FREE!

SEMINAR PROGRAM 7.30AM 7:45AM 9.00AM 9.45AM 10.15AM 11.15AM 12.15PM

WELCOME OPENING CEREMONY KEYNOTE SPEAKER – JARROD HILL, SPORTENG MORNING TEA ROTATION GROUPS COMMENCE – ROTATION 1 ROTATION 2 LUNCH

12.45PM 1.45PM 2.45PM 3.45PM 4.00PM

ROTATION 3 ROTATION 4 ROTATION 5 PRIZE DRAW / CONCLUSION OPTUS STADIUM TOUR (1 HOUR GUIDED TOUR – OPTIONAL EXTRA)

TOPICS TO BE COVERED: 1. MAIN PLAYING PITCH JARROD HILL, SPORTENG 2. IRON FILTRATION BACKWASH PIT – ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS PAMELA LEE, AURORA ENVIRONMENTAL 3. LANDSCAPE PRECINCT – DESIGN & ITS COMPLEXITIES - HANNAH GALLOWAY, HASSELL VISIT THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE WATERWISE IRRIGATION EXPO 2019

4. RAINWATER HARVESTING - INTEGRATED WATER CYCLE MANAGEMENT – MICHAEL SMIT, RAINWATER HARVESTING AUSTRALIA 5. IRRIGATION DESIGN – WHAT GOES INTO CREATING AN IRRIGATION DESIGN? – CLIVE CROXFORD, CROXFORD IRRIGATION

https://www.irrigationaustralia.com.au/events/event/2019-waterwise-irrigation-expo-wa-delegates

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STING NEMATODE RESEARCH Part 4

Bringing Nutrients or Fertiliser to Soil and Plants with water Range of sizes

Above: Sting nematode damage in Kikuyu Inset: Short roots from Sting nematode (Ibipora lolii).

Article by Peter Ruscoe, Sports Turf Technology This is the fourth in a series of articles outlining the findings of a 4-year research project into the sting nematode on turf grass in Western Australia. Since being identified in the late 1970s as a damaging pest of turf grass, there has been very limited scientific research carried out on the sting nematode (Ibipora lolii) in Australia. The aim of this research project was to better understand its distribution and population dynamics in the Perth region, and to investigate the resistance or tolerance of turf cultivars as a potential management strategy. It is hoped that this study will provide a good platform for ongoing research into the management of sting nematode. Nematode survey The survey of municipal sports fields in the Perth region was the first of its kind conducted in Australia. Previous nematode surveys were based on data collected from certain laboratories on samples submitted for nematode testing. The problem is that this method was heavily biased towards sites with nematode problems. For this project, a methodology was developed to provide a very thorough and unbiased survey of nematode distribution in a particular segment of the turf industry, within a distinct geographical region. There is considerable scope to conduct similar nematode surveys in other segments of the turf industry e.g. golf courses, bowling greens, tennis courts, racecourses, turf farms, parks, schools or even home lawns, not only in the Perth region but in other parts of Australia. Bio-security The nematode survey has emphasized the importance of implementing bio-security measures to prevent the introduction of sting nematode into non-infested turf areas through human intervention. An effective measure is the testing of turf farms to ensure that planting material is free of sting nematode prior to harvest. Another precaution is to clean down machinery and equipment to prevent the transfer of infested soil. What is not well understood is the capacity of sting nematode to spread by natural means, either under its own power or by water movement down slopes. It would be worthwhile investigating if it is possible to limit the spread of existing sting nematode infestations. Control measures The population dynamics study has provided valuable knowledge of the peak period of nematode pressure during

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

cool, wet weather in late winter and spring. This should influence the application timing of chemical or non-chemical treatments to suppress sting nematode activity. Trial work would be needed to assess the effectiveness of treating in autumn and early winter to prevent the increase in population. The finding that sting nematode is capable of deep vertical movement in the soil profile means that it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be eradicated from an infested site by removing the existing turf and topsoil. However, it could be possible to eliminate sting nematode with an extended fallow period, given that it is a plant parasite that requires roots for feeding. This approach should be investigated. Alternative turf types The evaluation of different cultivars of couch and kikuyu in a field trial has provided a good foundation for ongoing research into the selection of turf with resistance or tolerance to sting nematode. Couch is a viable alternative to kikuyu in sports fields with sting nematode, and the new cultivars Grand Prix and TifTuf were observed to maintain the best surface integrity. However, longer-term trial work is needed to confirm their superior performance. On passive turf or lawns, there is wider scope to investigate alternative turf species e.g. seashore paspalum and Queensland Blue. The use of turf with improved resistance or tolerance to sting nematode would seem to be the most sustainable management strategy. Soil amendments The cultivar trial demonstrated that turf declines rapidly after planting onto straight sand that is infested with sting nematode. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate soil amendments that will support root growth and improve the moisture and nutrient retention of sand. The use of organic soil amendments based on composted blends of green waste and manure has great potential for sting nematode management. However, this is a complex area of study, due to the variable nature of recycled organic material and the multiple mechanisms involved in nematode suppression. Water requirements Water management is crucial to maintain turf in the Perth region, with the reliance on irrigation for 8-9 months of the year. There is concern about the increased water requirement of sting nematode infested turf, due to the shallow root system. It would be beneficial to the regulatory authorities and turf managers for research to be conducted into watering practices on sting nematode infestations.

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

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Public green infrastructure contributes to city liveability Article by Jackie Parker - Manager Parks and Streetscapes - Town of Mosman Park A big challenge in current Public Open Space (POS) management is correct on-site resourcing. In order to get the most value for money, user needs must be thoroughly understood, and resources must match these needs. Common resourcing problems experienced by POS managers include over-servicing (provision of resources in exceedance of requirements) and underservicing (provision of resources that do not meet requirements).

The chosen study site was Lake Claremont, a POS covering over 60 hectares, located approximately 10 kilometres south-west of the Perth city-centre. The Lake Claremont site has diverse offerings and includes formal and informal, active and passive recreation opportunities, as well as remnant and restored urban nature spaces. The site includes a Par-3 golf-course, playgrounds, open turf areas, a dog exercise area, barbecue facilities, and major renaturing efforts in the form of revegetation with local native species.

Recent research by Jackie Parker (Curtin University) and Greg Simpson (Murdoch University) in Perth, demonstrate the use of quality surveying and showcase the ImportancePerformance Analysis (IPA) tool in the identification of user needs and the assessment of their management. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is used in a variety of disciplines and provides relatively simple and straightforward techniques to assess how well the attributes of goods or services perform in meeting the expectations of users and visitors. Surprisingly, IPA has rarely been applied to the management of POS.

Anonymous pen-and-paper questionnaires asked POS users “How important are the following features of Lake Claremont to you, and how satisfied are you with their management?” Participants could provide their importance ranking for 22 attributes using a 5-point Likert scale that ranged from 1 = Not At All Important to 5 = Extremely Important. Participants then provided their performance rankings using a modified 6-point Likert scale that started at 0 = Unable To Report and then spanned from 1 = Not At All Satisfied to 5 = Extremely Satisfied.

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

The assumption of a correlation between the importance and performance rankings were checked for each of the 22 POS attributes. Attributes included high quality turf, infrastructure, access, high quality water bodies, flora and fauna experiences, and more. The lack of a correlation between the importance and performance rankings for a POS attribute suggests differences of opinion in subgroups of POS users and how they perceive the performance of that attribute. Scale-Centred IPA (SC-IPA), Data-Centred IPA (DC-IPA), and Gap Analysis IPA (GA-IPA) was then performed. The SC-IPA is presented graphically as a grid with four quadrats that are centred on the midpoints of the importance and performance scales, where the measures switch from not important or not satisfactory, to being important or performing satisfactorily (See Figure 1). In scenarios where IPA attributes are assessed as high performing on the SC-IPA, the enhanced DC-IPA and GA-IPA can provide insights that may encourage management actions to address attributes that may have declining performance or attributes that are being over-serviced and are therefore consuming scarce resources with no perceived benefit for POS users.

Figure 1 (above) Scale-centred IPA (SC-IPA). Attributes are shown as a red square if there wasn’t a significant correlation between the Importance and Performance ratings, which suggests possible differences in opinion between subgroups of public open space users regarding that attribute. Similar to the SC-IPA, the DC-IPA is also presented graphically as a grid with the four quadrats Keep Up Good Work, Focus For Management, Low Priority, Possible Over-servicing. The grid for the DC-IPA is centred on the grand mean (i.e. the mean of all means) of the importance and grand mean of the performance of all the attributes

assessed. Focusing the grid on the means of the importance and performance ratings provides greater clarity for the prioritisation of POS management action. The GA-IPA was completed by determining the difference in the performance and importance rankings (i.e., Gap = Performance − Importance) by each participant for each attribute. The greater the gap in the performance of an attribute, represented by its distance from the line of parity (Performance = Importance) in the graphical representation, the higher the management priority to implement corrective action. The graphical prioritisation of management actions can be further enhanced by combining the grids from the DC-IPA and GA-IPA (See Figure 2).

less water. In more dramatic circumstances, this process could be used to facilitate eco-zoning, hydro-zoning, or complete turf removal programs; all demonstrating best practice in water conservation, water sensitive urban design principles, and facilitation of community enjoyment of urban POS.

By understanding user desires in these areas, it may facilitate the reduction of watering required on turfed spaces while still achieving the same level of satisfaction of users.

Figure 2 (on right hand page) Combination Data-Centred and Gap Analysis Importance-Performance Analysis. Attributes are shown as a red square shown if there was not a significant correlation between the Importance and Performance ratings. For attributes shown as a green dot Performance = Importance. Attributes shown as a blue dot have non-zero gaps and Performance ≠ Importance. The larger the gap is between the importance and performance rankings, the lower the satisfaction is likely to be with that POS attribute. Management action can then focus on improving the performance of attributes with a negative gap in order to meet the expectations of POS users. Attributes with positive gaps, where performance exceeds the expectation of POS users, could also require action to reduce over-servicing and more effectively allocate valuable POS management resources. Management focus should always be directed towards attributes located significantly above the line of parity, where expectations are not being met. The rationale for this being; the larger the gap between importance and performance of those attributes, the lower the satisfaction in experience. In contrast, the management of POS spaces requires the balancing of scarce resources against the service expectations of POS users. For that reason, managers must next consider those attributes below the line of parity, particularly those located in the bottom right Possible Over-servicing quadrat of the DC-IPA. That review may identify resources that can be redirected to address poorly performing attributes located significantly above the line of parity. With respect to water management and water conservation, a significant opportunity exists here to determine locations where site visitors observe water use to be excessive and therefore would benefit from being reduced. This value among site users could be explored by asking questions about perceptions of turf quality, turf appearance, the presence of exotic gardens, and native gardens alike. By understanding user desires in these areas, it may facilitate the reduction of watering required on turfed spaces while still achieving the same level of satisfaction of users. This is similar for native, low water use gardens, satisfying users to the same degree as exotic gardens, with the use of

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Further discussion and approvals from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation will be required to ensure sub-soil drains are not intercepting groundwater and will not affect local environmental receptors.

Irrigation innovations to tackle groundwater issues in new WA community The Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) is helping a new community in Western Australia tackle groundwater and water shortage issues using some innovative water management solutions that will solve the community’s challenges and contribute to Perth’s vision of becoming Australia’s most water sensitive city. The new community of Brabham is a sustainable and affordable housing development in the north east urban growth corridor of Perth. While Brabham, which is located about 23 kilometres from Perth’s central business district, will eventually become home to more than 12,000 residents, the development site currently faces some significant water challenges: 1. A significant shortfall in irrigation water for the community’s proposed public open space 2. A significant projected shortfall in non-potable water for the entire South Swan region by 2040 3. High groundwater tables on some sections of the development site, causing water-logging in the winter months and requiring 2,500,000 m3 of fill across the site.

development expense) and restoring the site hydrology.

To tackle these challenges and identify practical, evidence-based solutions, the CRCWSC co-hosted a collaborative workshop with PEET and the WA Department of Communities in June 2018. The workshop created a forum for collaboration and CRCWSC research translation and resulted in a set of innovative ideas to make Brabham water sensitive and a sustainable, liveable community for its future residents.

The quality of this sub-soil drainage water is considered generally good and requiring only minimal treatment before reuse. A treatment facility involving filtration and disinfection will ensure water quality standards are met.

Two of the innovations specifically solve the irrigation challenge: harvesting water from sub-soil drains for reuse and expanding the non-potable water network. Harvesting water from sub-soil drains for reuse The CRCWSC and stakeholders identified that if water from sub-soil drains could be harvested and reused (say, for irrigation of public open space), this would contribute to the developer’s minimal fill objective (fill being the single largest

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Expanding the non-potable water network The idea is that a sub-soil drainage water harvesting scheme at Brabham could be a first step towards a much larger alternative water scheme. This scheme could either diversify the water supplies used within Braham or expand the reach of alternative water reuse beyond Brabham, to seed a wider, regional water grid servicing councils and new developments along the planned METRONET rail corridor. Exploring four other innovations The other four ideas in the CRCWSC’s Ideas for Brabham research synthesis report, which resulted from the CRCWSC’s collaborative workshop, deal with the other challenges the development site faces: Staging—staging development parcels to create time and space for innovation. The development deals first with the areas least affected by groundwater issues, taking time to test the designs that will be used in areas where shallow groundwater is a constraint. The first stages will become a showcase for later stages.

‘Village in a wetland’ development typologies—adapting the urban development product to the wetland landscape to celebrate water in the landscape rather than fight against it. Minimal fill objective—reducing the amount of fill required by adopting an alternative to gravity sewers and varying the design parameters for sub-surface drainage. Governance for innovation—responding to the twin challenges of how to support innovative proposals for Brabham through various approval processes, and how to drive broader reforms that will enable the wider adoption of these innovations in future development. The CRCWSC was pleased to be involved in this project— part of Perth’s goal to be ‘Australia’s most water sensitive city’. With proper water management and water use efficiency, clever use of green infrastructure and built environment construction methods, and water sensitive governance, Brabham can provide a practical demonstration of several elements of a water sensitive city. You can learn more about the ideas for Brabham in our report: https://watersensitivecities.org.au/content/ideas-for-brabham/

Bore water iRon removal

Separate water balances for summer and winter were estimated and showed that: 1. Over the eight months outside of summer, 959 KL/day on average (230 ML) can be harvested and reused within homes, assuming that 60 per cent of water use requires only water of non-potable quality. 2. Over the four summer months of the year, 148 ML can be realistically harvested for irrigation of public open space, fulfilling the City of Swan’s water needs. It is likely that this water will be harvested and stored in a managed aquifer recharge scheme to balance short to medium term differences between supply and demand.

While the quality and quantity of sub-soil drainage water supports a reuse opportunity at Brabham, the difference in timing between supply and demand remains a challenge. Three approaches can be used to ensure supply reliability: 1. managed aquifer recharge for storage prior to extraction for irrigation during summer 2. a third pipe distribution network to distribute water for use within homes 3. topping-up a non-potable network throughout the development that uses different water sources during the year to meet demand peaks.

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I RTheROverflow I G -A T I O N Autumn 2019 25

Nutrient rich waste water irrigating 2,000 Citrus Trees

Article by Earth and Water

Southern Stars Holiday Park is located just south of Busselton, offering a great rural farm setting for caravans and campers to enjoy the country feel, sit around a campfire, experience farm animals and embrace the open spaces. Campers can also enjoy a farm walk through the Wastewater Irrigated Citrus Grove. They have 105 camping / caravan sites with power and water. The water supply is from an onsite bore hole and is treated to drinking water standard. Wastewater is re-used from several family sized bathrooms; each bathroom contains a shower, toilet and basin in the one space. Additional facilities include a full-scale laundry, two large kitchens, a covered dining room and entertaining hall. All this infrastructure according to Health and DWER can generate up to 55,000 litres wastewater per day! The actual flow rates are 75 litres / day / person, not 150 Litres / day as per the Department of Health and Australian Standard specification Earth & Water were engaged to design and install both the water supply and wastewater systems. Southern Stars re-use their water to irrigate a 15,000 sqm Citrus Orchard under sown with a Kikuyu lawn. The Caravan Park operates 24 hours a day, so the Waste Water Treatment also needs to operate 24 hours a day. Design Firstly, we designed the treatment system and process with

26 The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Above: Flushing Manifold

Right: Southern Stars Holiday Park, Busselton

Southern Stars. Then once we had a design that worked for Southern Stars and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) guidelines, the next step is submit the applications to DWER. We started with the local Shire Council, then the Department of Health who advised that DWER are the primary approval regulators for systems delivering over 20,000 litres / day, additional approvals were sought from Water and Rivers Commission, FESA and more. So, with all the various regulators the design and consult process took 8 months for the Works Approval. At the time of writing, we are undertaking a 3-month commissioning process requiring weekly monitoring, water sampling and record-keeping for the Operator License (Final Approval) Nutrient Irrigation Management Plan (NIMP) A critical part of the approval process is to submit a Nutrient Irrigation Management Plan. The NIMP is a bit like a profit and loss sheet defining wastewater seasonal effluent outflows and nutrient load. The NIMP needs to confirm that no nutrient leaching occurs through over-irrigation, rainfall and the nutrients are taken up by plants and trees throughout the season. Citrus and Kikuyu grass require high ratios of

nutrients, especially Nitrogen and Phosphorous and needs an acidic soil that allows better uptake of Phosphorous in low PBI soils. The NIMP calculated that the trees should be planted in two stages (1.5ha x two plantings) to accommodate predicted increasing wastewater volumes as the Caravan Park occupancy grows to maturity. The trees are planted in 3m wide rows with 2.5m between each tree. Kikuyu Grass is seeded in the inter-row to prevent soil erosion and make the Orchard look great as well increase the extraction of nutrients. After the settling (commissioning period) DWER will decide if we need to increase the area to 3Ha from a current 1.5Ha. DWER might also request a holding dam to store excess effluent irrigation in winter if the field is saturated. System Process The Wastewater Management or Flow Process uses a simple system of collection of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sullageâ&#x20AC;? water (grey water from the vans showers and basins. The Sullage Points and Toilet-blocks drain into a common Pump Pit with a pair of standby / delivery macerator pumps for pump out to the Main Treatment Plant. All the pump-pits and treatment plant has audio / visual alarms to alert the Van Park Operator of failure. The Wastewater Treatment system starts with three settling and floatation tanks and then drains into the aeration and treatment system, and finally into the irrigation holding and disinfection tank for chlorination and final settling. The treatment system is a closed loop system with sludge and solids returned to the first treatment tank for settling and breakdown. There is very little smell as the wastewater treatment system uses air scrubbing for odour control and the vent

is mounted on the farm shed about 20m above ground. The first tank becomes the sludge tank for solids, which are removed by a Licensed Waste Management Contractor. The liquid effluent then passes into the Settlement Chamber, any solids will drop out and high-quality effluent drains into the Disinfection Chamber for Chlorination using Chlorine Tablets. Finally the effluent drains into the Pump-Out Tank (Irrigation Tank ) the irrigation water through a set of 4 deep media sand filters to provide suitable treated effluent water to the subsurface dripline. The sand filter rinse product is returned to the first Septic tank for settling and further breakdown. A 50mm water meter inside a locked box monitors and log flows for future recording and monitoring. A sample valve is located next to the water meter. A Signal Irrigation Controller uses flow technology and programmed to allow uniform application of the treated water. A soil moisture probe is connected to the Signal Controller to stop or divert irrigation if the field has reached saturation. The irrigation dispersal areas via seven solenoid valves to sequence the amount of water equally through the citrus orchards. Each irrigated zone is automatically rinsed back to the first treatment tank after each irrigation cycle to prevent fouling of the dripline. The infrastructure and buildings started in January 2018, and Southern Stars opened in March 2019 Information relating to construction and installation will be published in the next edition of The Overflow

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

Water Update

Supplied by the Water Corporation Current graphs can be found at www.watercorporation.com.au

Water Usage Metro Region

Yearly Streamflow

Perth Rainfall Comparison

7.5.2019

The Overflow - Autumn 2019

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