AusBiz - August-September 2022

NEWS | business | industry | charity | mining | environment

86.BUZZ ABOUT HONEYBEES A new research project at Macquarie University hopes to save Australian honeybees.

P.64 ausbiz. news p.66 nina’s jewellery P.70 food waste warriors P.74 mining innovations p.80 green hydrogen P.88 giving back p.91 education special

AUSBIZ NEWS

BEETROOT IS THE NEW EXERCISE SUPERFOOD New research conducted by UniSA has found that eating more beetroot can boost sporting performance in athletes.

According to the study, beetroots, grapes, sour cherries and pine bark extract help to increase blood flow and deliver important nutrients to muscles during exercise, allowing athletes to perform better more quickly. The nitrate levels in beetroot contribute to nitric oxide availability in the body, while polyphenols in grapes, cherries and pine bark help protect nitrate from degradation, increasing stamina.

Researchers assessed data from 118 studies involving 1872 participants, finding that beetroots have significant health benefits for high intensity sport, further proving that food can act as a natural endurance enhancer.

According to co-researcher Professor Jon Buckley, this could have positive repercussions in boosting exercise performance. However, the results aren’t perfect.

“The results did show more significant effects among athletes who were less fit, and also that men were more likely to benefit from these foods than women,” says Jon. “This finding does suggest further investigation is warranted.

“All in all, we know that trying to get fit takes time and effort, but add a glass of beetroot juice to your training schedule and you might just see the difference.”

SOLAR PANELS FOR THE FUTURE Melbourne is set to be the location for Australia’s first solar panel powered office tower in 2023. The building will harvest on-site electricity using over 1,000 panels on the facade, and is expected to save 70 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. If it’s successful, this $40 million eight-storey tower will be able to produce more energy than it uses.

The project has been designed by architect Pete Kennon, and is set to launch in 2023 despite significant delays due to COVID-19.

According to Pete, this solar facade system has never been attempted before in Australia, and is the start of a new movement towards sustainable energy practices.

“We have designed a building where its function, purpose and technological benefit is in the future. A building designed for a better future for all of us,” says Pete.

With the initial stages of this project commencing all the way back in 2019, Pete and his team have had plenty of time to plan. They even flew in executives from a German-based solar model manufacturer to ensure the best quality materials. The hope is that this solar paneled building will bring about a larger change.

“Workers choose to work for companies with a social consciousness and an environmental responsibility that aligns with theirs,” Pete says.

The project represents the start of more environmental care in the Australian business sector.

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INTERVIEW

OVER THE RAINBOW Nina’s Jewellery in the East Kimberley is one of Australia’s most unique jewellers, specialising in rare natural coloured diamonds. We spoke to their Product Manager and designer of the Rainbow Collection, Shivangi Modi, on what makes their gems so special.

Words: Emily Riches

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Can you tell us about your professional background and your role as Product Manager at Nina’s Jewellery?

I’ve been in jewellery since I was 16.

I studied at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York and have worked as a Diamond Buyer in the Diamond District (USA) and Range Developer and Designer in Mumbai Seepz. I always aspired to move to Australia and work with gems that were so rare and unique. It was a really good opportunity when I started at Nina’s: it gave me so much growth in my diamond knowledge as well as in coloured diamonds.

Nina’s has a long relationship with the Argyle Mine in Australia’s East Kimberley. How did it first begin?

Not only were we the first ateliers, but Nina’s was also the very first to buy a

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pink diamond from the Argyle Mine – we even have that receipt framed!

From there, we shared a very close relationship with the mine for 35 years. Another advantage for Nina’s is that we are located so close to the Kimberley region, as we are based in the mining town of Kununurra.

The Argyle Mine is famous for its rare pink, blue and even violet diamonds, as well as a range of champagne and white diamonds.

What gives these diamonds their unique colours?

The unique composition of Argyle diamonds is attributed to a volcanic pipe – commonly known as the Argyle pipe – made of olivine lamproite.

Argyle diamonds are type IIa diamonds (a rare type of diamond with an exceptionally pure chemical

composition: almost all carbon, with negligible amounts of nitrogen or boron) with a very uniform pink color.

There’s no other mine or mining site in the world which has the mineral composition or carbon structure that gives the diamonds their famous pink colour and intensity. This is why the Argyle diamonds are so rare.

Interestingly, the blue diamonds can often be more expensive than the pink!

What are some of the features that make a diamond more valuable?

For white diamonds, there are the four C’s: cut, colour, clarity and carat. But with the pink diamonds, it’s a different ball game. The most important thing is the intensity of the pink. You have the four P’s – P, for true pink with no secondary shades; PP, which is pink with a hint of purple;

INTERVIEW

PR, which is pink rose; and PC which is pink champagne – and they are ranked on a scale of intensity from 1-9, with 1 being the highest. 3P, 4P and 5P is a good range.

What was the process for designing and crafting a piece of diamond jewellery for the Rainbow Collection?

We have a workshop in Dunsborough, which is our head office, where we have qualified master jewellers with years and years of experience. The difference between a Nina’s piece of jewellery and others is that we pay a lot of attention to the manufacturing, such as the quality, structure and strength.

The devil is always in the details.

The placement is also really important when you design these coloured diamonds, because they need to be placed in a certain way to

reflect and complement each other: green next to pink, rose gold bevels for the pink diamonds to make them pop, and so on. We always try to be ahead of the market, and create something extraordinary Our Rainbow Collection is very unique and inspired by the colours and textures of the landscape and nature. The boab pendant is representative of the most popular Kimberley designs that we have, and is our most loved and signature piece. My inspiration has been to work with the whole spectrum of coloured diamonds, and to create something that no one has seen before.

Many people are now investing in Argyle pink diamonds. Do you have many customers who are looking just to invest?

Yes, as we offer loose pink diamonds as well, which not many jewellers do.

When the time is right, our customers often come back to us to get their diamond set in a unique design, because we are one of the few who offer this service as well.

What’s next for the diamond industry and Nina’s in particular?

We have come to this point where we really want to embrace ourselves as coloured diamond specialists. The unique coloured diamonds are giving us an edge.

I think my greatest contribution from a design perspective would be the Rainbow Collection, because we’re doing something so different.

We have diamonds in every colour of the rainbow: burnt oranges (my favourite), yellows, blues, pinks, greens and white.

It’s become so popular because it’s so unique, and there’s nothing quite like it on the market.

RAINBOW RICHES: LEFT: RINGS FROM THE RAINBOW COLLECTION. RIGHT: FESTIVA COLOURED DIAMOND CLUSTER RING.

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PROPERTY FEATURE

Cheriton Valley: A PICTURESQUE HAVEN AND THE PERFECT CITY ESCAPE Nestled in the beautiful Cheriton Valley just minutes north of the town of Gingin, an exclusive country address with an idyllic lifestyle in a safe, close-knit community awaits. It offers the best of countryside living while being on the fringes of Perth.

Country Heights Estate has been developed to an exceptional standard with fast-speed internet, scheme water, power and sealed roads, whilst retaining its rural charm and natural beauty – with stands of mature gum trees and untouched bush adding to its appeal.

The stunning estate is home to 313 exclusive 1-hectare lots, plus rural residential homesites with utterly breathtaking views of rolling hills and sweeping valleys.

Claymont Chairman Jerry Goh says fully serviced large hectarage home sites having scheme water in such close proximity to metro areas are a rarity, with the homesites being 25 times larger than the average suburban home site, for a better price.

The enchanting estate aims to deliver an improved quality of life with plenty of fresh air and wide-open country spaces for the whole family to enjoy, while also offering enough space for large pets to roam and play.

ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE, WITH THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Country Heights Estate is easily accessible via the completed NorthLink Tonkin Highway extension.

With this new development, travel times to myriad metro areas with high-density work places and shopping centres have been significantly slashed.

Joondalup, Wangara, Malaga, Morley, Balcatta, Ellenbrook and Midlands are between 30 minutes to 45 minutes from the estate, and the airport and Perth CBD are an hour or less away.

“With its excellent accessibility, Country Heights Estate offers a unique opportunity to live the ultimate lifestyle with the best of both worlds – healthy living in a safe country community on large hectarage home sites, and the ability to work in metro areas with an easy commute,” says Jerry.

As a result of the lockdown experienced during the pandemic, there is a growing popularity with city-dwellers seeking a lifestyle change to regional areas which are within easy commutable distance to the city. It gives them more room and space to spend quality time at home, with more flexible work-fromhome lifestyles.

“The availability of high-speed internet here is perfect for those who desire a rural work-from-home lifestyle, making Country Heights Estate an ideal place to live and work partly or fully from home,” Jerry says.

The nearby Gingin town has every a tree-changer could possibly want – including great schools, a medical centre, post office, bank, hotel, cafes, shops, and numerous recreational and sporting facilities.

Ideal for the building of a family home, retirement, an investment, or to claim your own weekender on the edge of the Darling Scarp, the estate is also within easy reach of coastal communities such as Lancelin, Seabird and Guilderton on the pristine Moore River.

WHAT’S ON OFFER Stage 1 included 45 homesites that were well received, as it is now sold out. The next 61 homesites will be released in Stage 2 comprising Stage 2A, 2B and 2C with titles expected early in 2023. Selling prices start from $215,000 to $305,000 for premium elevated homesites with stunning panoramic valley views.

Take a scenic drive to Country Heights Estate to see it for yourself.

For more information, please visit countryheightsestate.com.au (or use the QR code below). Alternatively, contact our agents Tom Cabassi: 0429 095 864, Willie Lim: 0410 148 856 or Rob French: 0401 970 997.

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BUSINESS

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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE ‘FUGLY’ Good and Fugly founder Richard Tourino discusses how he's fighting Australia's food waste problem one box at a time.

Words: Matilda Meikle

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BUSINESS

WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED FROM CUSTOMERS? DO YOU THINK GOOD AND FUGLY IS CHANGING THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH FOOD WASTE?

OPPOSITE AND RIGHT: A PRODUCE BOX FROM GOOD AND FUGLY; FOUNDER RICHARD TOURINO.

For Richard and his team, the amount of food waste in Australia is a massive focus. Good and Fugly aims to reduce this problem while providing customers with delicious and fresh local produce.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LAUNCH GOOD AND FUGLY? After learning how bad our food waste problem is in Australia and around the world, I wanted to make the biggest social and environmental impact I could. In Australia, we throw away 3.1 million tonnes of food a year, and 25 per cent of our national produce doesn't even leave the farm. I knew there was a better way to handle our food waste. That's where Good and Fugly comes in. We deliver boxes of rejected fruit and veg straight to customer's doorsteps every week, direct from farmers.

HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE AT GOGET HELP YOU BUILD THE GOOD AND FUGLY BRAND? Building a national brand and a new category – car sharing – offered so many practical, ethical and visionary insights into how you bring customers and the community along for a sustainability journey. It's definitely informing my work at Good and Fugly.

GOOD AND FUGLY HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL SO FAR. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE MAKING AN IMPACT? We have been blown away by the response. We knew there were many people who wanted to take constructive action against food waste, but we have been really heartened by the commitment to the fight and the expression of love for the Fugly brand.

And we aren't alone. We’ve been connecting with amazing partners like Cornersmith and Tumbleweed, as well as supporting OZ Harvest in their work and, most of all, discovering our farmers who for the most part have been deprived of an important voice in the food waste fight.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO CREATE CONNECTIONS WITH AUSTRALIAN FARMERS AND PRODUCERS? The Farmer’s Hotline is a practical response to a huge supply chain problem. How do you help farmers and rescue fuglies when the system favours supermarket supply chains?

The Farmer’s Hotline is an attempt to address this problem and build a great option for farmers in need. They call us, and we take their cosmetically rejected produce for a fair price, delivering it straight to our customers.

The feedback from our customers has been very strong. They love the concept, they love fuglies, they want to support our farmers. Yes, I think we’re changing the way people appreciate food and think about food waste. Our hope is that they see the connection between their food and farmers, water use, landfill effects and to their own health and wellbeing. We’re doing a lot of things, including working with our Chief Nutrition Officer, Cailie Ford, to do this.

HOW WILL THE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN HELP WITH GOOD AND FUGLY'S MISSION? So far, the response to our crowdfund has been amazing. Our EOI is currently live and the team at Birchal have said that the interest has been totally unprecedented. It’s a great way to kick off our campaign. The crowdfunding will support our mission in a big way to bring the fight against food waste national. We care about every investor's dollar, and make sure not a cent goes to waste.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR GOOD AND FUGLY? WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ACHIEVE IN THE FUTURE? Our mission has been simple from the start: put an end to food waste. This is a huge challenge, but if we can change the conversation so that there is no longer a price disparity between fugly and “perfect” fruit and veg, we’ll know that our message is being heard. goodandfugly.com.au AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022

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POSITION PARTNERS

Mitsui & Co. and Position Partners join forces Mitsui & Co. becomes majority shareholder in Position Partners to advance digital innovation across construction and mining.

Positioning and site automation solutions company, Position Partners announces that Mitsui & Co. (Mitsui), through its Australian and Japanese entities, has increased its investment to become the majority shareholder. This partnership will leverage growth opportunities in intelligent positioning solutions throughout Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

With aligned strategies to accelerate the deployment of digital and automated systems on all types of machines, Position Partners will further pursue its partnering vision with customers to improve productivity, safety and sustainability in the construction, resources and geospatial sectors with the support of Mitsui’s networks.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with locations in more than 60 countries worldwide, Mitsui invested in Position Partners in 2019 to hold a 20 per cent share in the company.

Mitsui’s strategy to accelerate digital transformation across multiple sectors

including construction, resources, transport, and logistics, aligns with Position Partners’ positioning systems and support expertise.

Following Position Partners’ strong business performance, Mitsui has become the majority shareholder.

“Since 2019, we have launched initiatives that have been fostered through the Mitsui network, notably in our mining business,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO. “Mitsui has also enabled collaborations for two of our key services: Tokara, construction site remote access and data transmission solution; and AllDayRTK, our national GPS network.

“Supporting new growth opportunities and leveraging our capabilities will provide an even better experience for customers,” he added.

“Our Southeast Asia and mining systems businesses can expect to be significant beneficiaries of Mitsui’s post investment strategic support.

“Mitsui recognises that our ability to deploy solutions to sites with various

types of machinery, systems and software is critical to realising the full potential of digital innovation in the construction, mining and geospatial industries,” Mr Nix said.

To ensure continuity, the existing Position Partners executive team remains. The Board will include three nominee Directors from Mitsui and key system and product suppliers have endorsed the change.

“Mitsui looks forward to building on the already strong collaborative relationship we enjoy with the Position Partners team, working together toward our shared strategic goals to accelerate digital transformation and contribute to sustainable futures,” said Koichi (Marcos) Wakabayashi, Operating Officer, Mobility Business Unit 1, Mitsui & Co Ltd. “This announcement represents an exciting next step in our company’s evolution and growth.

More opportunities for customers, employees, suppliers and partners can be expected,” Mr Nix concluded.

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MINING

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MINING

THE BIG NEW BOOM What post-pandemic crisis?

The future is bright for Australia’s mining sector. words: Ian Lloyd Neubauer

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MINING ABOVE AND BELOW: WORKERS AT GREENBUSHES, AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST LITHIUM MINE, IMAGE

BY TALISON LITHIUM; ELECTRIC CARS ARE DRIVING DEMAND FOR LITHIUM.

The outlook for mining in Australia has never looked brighter. That’s the gospel according to every analyst in the sector, which is experiencing conditions similar to the boom of 2010, and then some. Growth is being driven by unending demand for coal and iron ore plus a rejuvenation in strategic metals such as copper, nickel, zinc and lithium.

“We’re going through a period that’s been as good as we’ve seen in probably 20 or 30 years,” says Warren Pearce, CEO of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies.

But it’s not going to be business-asusual in the new boom. Rising environmental, social and governance

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concerns mean mining companies are going to have to do and be seen to be doing a lot more to earn and maintain their social licence and attract the best people to fill jobs.

In this edition of AusBiz, we take a closer look at the multibillion-dollar opportunities and make or break challenges in what is gearing up to be the most exciting and transformative era in the history of mining.

BREAD AND BUTTER Last year mining companies benefited from higher commodity prices and a weaker Australian dollar, which saw export earnings hit a record $310

billion. This year the country’s mining and energy exports are estimated to smash that record again, reaching $425 billion, according to the Australian Government’s March 2022 Resources and Energy Quarterly report.

Despite the headlines, coal continues to account for more than a quarter of these earnings as it remains a key source of global energy. “China, India and Russia make up 50 per cent of global electricity consumption – 70 per cent is from burning coal,” Jessica Amir, Australian market strategist at Danish investment bank Saxo, told the Investing News Network. “Global electricity generated from coal surged 9 per cent to a new record high in 2021.”

Australian iron ore exports are also looking strong, with production set to increase by 2 per cent this year on the back of new projects that began operations in 2021. Australia’s two largest miners, BHP and Rio Tinto, expect iron ore production to increase by nearly 17 per cent compared to 2021.

“There is a significant opportunity for Australian miners to build or expand processing and refining capacity,” EY’s global mining and metals leader Paul Mitchell told the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bulletin.

But the absolute dominance of these commodities will soon start to wane. “Historically, the Australian mining sector has been focused on iron ore and coal, whereas we are seeing a rejuvenation in the base metals such as copper, nickel and zinc, along with a rapidly expanding lithium sector,” says David Franklyn, executive director of Argonaut, a corporate advisory firm in Perth.

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MINING

NEW BOYS IN TOWN Demand for base metals is being driven by the electrification revolution that will power transport for decades to come. And it’s sending prices of base metals used to make rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to the moon. Copper prices hit a record high in 2021 while the spot price for lithium jumped more than 600 per cent in the first half of this year. Citigroup projects more “extreme” price hikes are likely for lithium in the second half of 2022 – which spells good news for Australia, the world’s largest producer.

“There is a growing demand for the minerals integral to renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage systems,” says Paul Mitchell of EY. This means more demand for battery metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt as well as rare earths.

Professor Matthew Hill, deputy head of chemical and biological engineering at Monash University, adds: “We are going into a commodity super-cycle as we electrify everything.”

Demand for hydrogen, a gas made with renewable energy that will be the key to decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors like trucking and steelmaking, is also on a steep upwards trajectory.

Australia, which has vast areas where either sunshine or wind is in nearconstant supply, is emerging as the regional hub for green hydrogen production. In fact, the Australian government estimates hydrogen exports and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion within 30 years.

Paul agrees: “Australia has the opportunity to be a green energy powerhouse if it has the political will and foresight, endowed with vast reserves of lithium, nickel, copper, rare earths, uranium and plenty of wind and sun, to drive renewable energy production.”

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THIS PAGE: WIND FARM IN ALBANY, WA; COPPER PRICES HIT A RECORD HIGH IN 2021.

“Acknowledging and adapting to this reality can help mining companies operate with greater understanding and empathy, ultimately transforming their workplace – and the workforce.”

MINING

Remote mining towns in Western Australia and Queensland are also looking toward hydrogen and base metals as a way to mitigate the boom-bust cycle that has dogged Australian mining communities since the very first gold rush of 1851. “Relying on six commodity prices certainly helps level out the field,” Tony Simpson, CEO of Regional Development Australia’s Pilbara office, told the ABC. “The more we can diversify, we’re not relying on one commodity price or two.”

PEOPLE AND THE PLANET To make good on these opportunities, mining companies are going to have to solve staff shortages that have put a dent in production in Australia during the pandemic.

Rio Tinto’s iron production declined 3.3 per cent last year compared to 2020, due to labour shortages and commissioning delays, while a shortage of train drivers and weatherrelated disruptions saw BHP’s iron ore supply increase by only 0.1 per cent in the same period.

Accenture head of natural resources David Burns believes a more individualistic approach to human resources, which looks at every dimension of every worker, will help solve the deficit. “Acknowledging and adapting to this reality can help mining companies operate with greater understanding and empathy, ultimately

transforming their workplace – and the workforce,” he told Australian Resources & Investment, a mining journal. New technologies, such as drones to carry out pit surveillance and autonomous trucks and trains, can further devise new ways to gain efficiencies, he added.

But the biggest challenge to unlocking more value in the sector will be meeting – and exceeding – environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements in a lowcarbon, low-waste, purpose-driven future.

“ESG is no longer optional or a point of differentiation. It is the minimum operating standard,” says Paul Bendall, global mining leader at PwC. “Stakeholders are increasing the pressure, and strong social licences, responsible divestitures and tax transparency will be important for success.”

Professor Neville Plint, director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, reckons a key focus in 2022 and beyond will be how to extract minerals from the ground without doing any harm whatsoever to local communities and ecosystems. “[Mining companies] must show how they are working positively with local communities, how they are mining responsibly and sustainably, and how they are contributing to a low-carbon economy,” he says, adding that new ESG requirements must be carried by every single person working in the industry.

ABOVE: DRONE SHOT OF THE GREENBUSHES MINE. IMAGE BY TALISON LITHIUM.

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THE GREEN DOOR In the not-too-distant future, green hydrogen promises to replace diesel fuel and nitrogen-based fertilisers – and it’s completely emission-free. But what exactly is green hydrogen? And when will we be able to buy it at the corner store?

Words: Ian Lloyd Neubauer

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ENERGY

“Studies show using hydrogen-enriched water can increase a plant’s resistance to pests, potentially removing the risk for more environmentally harmful methods of pest control.”

More than 200 years have passed since Swiss engineer François Isaac de Rivaz invented the first hydrogenpowered combustion engine and fitted it to a vehicle. And more than 50 have passed since the terms ‘hydrogen economy’ and ‘green hydrogen’ were coined to describe the process of making hydrogen from renewables such as wind, solar and hydro.

Yet green hydrogen and all the wonderful things it can do – from powering hard-to-electrify sectors like long-haul transport to creating emissions-free fertiliser – remains a mystery to most of us: a buzzword that comes and goes. In 2009, for example, New Holland Agricultural developed the world’s first hydrogen-powered tractor. Trials showed it could perform all the tasks of the company’s T6000 tractor only with no emissions and in near silence. But it was never commercialised.

“Hydrogen has come and gone a couple of times. It’s almost like the rings of a tree,” Dr Daniel Roberts, leader of the CSIRO’s Hydrogen Energy Systems Future Science Platform, commented during a recent webinar hosted by Farmers for Climate Action.

“What we have that we have never had before is a really strong global market pull for green and clean hydrogen,” he added. “People really want to see things change. There are government strategies and funding schemes in place. Germany is looking to Australia to supply hydrogen as part of their transition to zero emissions. Japan and Korea have energy plans that rely on low-carbon

and green as part of their transitions to zero emissions. It is really clear that things are different this time.”

DIESEL 2.0 Hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth. It is found in water, carbohydrates and all kinds of chemicals. But hydrogen rarely exists by itself in nature. It must be extracted through electrolysis – where you put negative and positive electrodes in water and turn the power on. The hydrogen moves towards the negative electrode and rises to the surface in the form of gas bubbles, where it can be captured.

Hydrogen made from coal and gas – by reacting them with steam – is already widely used for industrial feedstock, liquid fuels and reductants.

But it makes a hell of a lot of CO2.

Hence the names black, brown and grey hydrogen.

Green hydrogen is different. It uses renewable energy sources to power electrolysis, leaving nothing but water and hydrogen in its wake. It is easily converted into ammonia, a fuel source suited to slower speed diesel engines in ships and trucks.

“Hydrogen will be a major contender to replace diesel,” Mark Wallace, principal engineer at EnergyLink, a consultancy in Sydney, said at Exploring Beyond Diesel, an online forum hosted by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. “Having a locally produced fuel source will help shelter farmers from price increases and rapid fluctuations caused by global facts. And hydrogen does not require significant mindset adjustments when switching from diesel.”

“Tractors can be switched to hydrogen with operating hours or refuelling times that are comparable to diesel, which is important during harvest,” he added. “The diesel gensets scattered around the countryside can be replaced with hydrogen fuel cells, and the new technology does not have the same rigorous maintenance schedules as combustion engines.

Even the way we move and store diesel around the country closely resembles how we would transport hydrogen: tube trailers and storage cylinders.”

Hydrogen can also be used to produce emissions-free ammonia for fertilizer. According to Mark, “studies show using hydrogen-enriched water can increase a plant’s resistance to pests, potentially removing the risk for more environmentally harmful methods of pest control.”

MAKING FERTILISER FROM SUNLIGHT The CSIRO, which already has hydrogen-powered Toyotas, is working on next-generation technology that one day will allow farmers to make fertilizer directly from sunlight, water and some seriously slick hardware. “It’s probably not the sort of thing we can expect to go and buy in Bunnings in a couple of years’ time, but it is certainly on the development trajectory,” Daniel Roberts says.

So why is the green hydrogen door still closed? Because of the high cost of production.

Right now, it costs $8.75 per kilogram to make hydrogen with natural gas, and two to three times as much with solar, wind or hydro power.

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ENERGY FROM LEFT: CITIES SEEN FROM SPACE; INVENTOR FRANCOIS ISAAC DE RIVAS; NEW HOLLAND'S HYDROGEN-POWERED NH2.

But multibillion-dollar investments by the government and the private sector in hydrogen and renewables will see the price drop to $2 per kilogram by 2030, according to Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy and various other sources.

“It is well and truly in the five- to 10-year time horizon. And at that cost, the world becomes a very different place as green hydrogen will be significantly cheaper than diesel,” Simon Helps, business development manager at Energy Australia, said at the online forum.

“Green hydrogen is going to get really, really big really, really quick.

We are doing some early work around Moree with the cotton guys where we are looking at putting a spokeand-wheel model and a centralised electrolyser. If you made that stuff moveable, once you finish irrigating you can bring it back to a central location and power something big like a gin. Then you get two whacks with the same hammer.

“Most of these guys, their two biggest input costs are fuel and fertilizer,” Simon said. “Being able to make those things within 50km of your front door at a cost-competitive price point and not being made subject

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to the vagaries of whatever else is going on in the world will have a massive impact on our foreign trade balance, and put the focus on regional areas. We have seen a very good example of it in Germany where they were paid to make electricity, and that gave them income security, diversified their labour force and made them lots of money.”

IT’S ALREADY STARTED Green hydrogen is more than facts and figures: it’s taking shape all around the country as you read this.

Yara, a fertiliser company that operates one of the world’s largest ammonia production plants in the Pilbara, has ordered the world’s first green ammonia floating bunkering terminals, a major step towards making shipping free of fossil fuels.

Fortescue Metals will be making green hydrogen at a commercial scale next year and plans to use most of it to make green steel.

In Adelaide, a 1.25-megawatt electrolyser, the largest of its kind in Australia, is being installed.

And in Gippsland, H2X Global is manufacturing emergency fuel

cells for Bupa retirement homes and outfitting Ford Rangers with hydrogen fuel cells. A hydrogen tractor is on the drawing board alongside game-changing hydrogen solutions for broad-acre farming.

“We have had long discussions with cotton producers out west in New South Wales, who see their expenditure dominated by diesel, who are looking at producing their own hydrogen,” says Tony Blackie, H2X Australia’s VP of corporate relations. “Cotton farmers, wheat farmers and anyone in broadacre who use big multimillion-dollar headers that chew up a lot of gas and have gins running 24-seven, if they had a cheaper fuel source it could push the cost of production down and make our agricultural produce more competitive.”

Australia, Tony says, is a land of inventors. “We invented WiFi. We invented the Hills Hoist. And we have been developing hydrogen fuel cells for 25 years. Previously, we couldn’t get them off the ground because politicians were carrying lumps of coal into parliament. Now, everything has changed.”

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ENVIRONMENT

NO TREE, NO ME The Australian Koala Foundation calls for the new Environment Minister to support the Koala Protection Act. Words: Phoebe Tran

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ENVIRONMENT

“The proposed Act dives deep into the problem and comes up with a more thorough approach.”

Just after settling into her office as the new Environment Minister, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek received a message from the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) urging her to take action, as the fate of the iconic Australian animal rested in her hands.

The koala population in Australia has decreased significantly in the last few decades, as a result of various factors such as habitat destruction, attacks by other animals, bushfires and road accidents. The AKF estimates that there are less than 60,000 koalas in the wild, possibly as low as 30,000. The AKF has been working hard for more than thirty years, using their brightest minds to develop detailed habitat mapping and population data and drafting solutions to save the koala. Their projects include the Koala Kiss Project, aiming to connect fragmented koala habitats, and the Koala Protection Act, a legislative solution that is expected to have a significant impact on this problem.

AKF Chair Deborah Tabart has written to the new minister, requesting to meet with her to discuss the

necessity and impact of implementing the Koala Protection Act. “The new Environment Minister is the fifteenth during my 33-year career at the Australian Koala Foundation. I hold great hope that with the minister’s parliamentary experience and expertise she will be able to help save the koala,” says Deborah.

The proposed Act dives deep into the problem and comes up with a more thorough approach. Previous attempts by governments to protect the koalas only focused on the koala itself, while leaving their habitat vulnerable to industrial processes. The Act instead focuses on protecting trees, including empty habitats. This change might sound detrimental to politics and industries alike, however, the AKF believes that good industry leaders should not be threatened by it.

“The Koala Protection Act is firm but fair. It requires no funding, just the Minister’s signature and the political will to convince the industry that they now have to do things by the book. [It] is a revolutionary piece of legislation that will change environmental law forever. I know it is feared by both

major political parties and the industries that support them, but it’s ultimately what’s needed to truly save the koala,” says Deborah.

“I have expressed to the Minister that I do not envy some of the decisions she will need to make to protect koala forests and the waterways that sustain them, but it’s what is required to lead to a more sustainable future.”

In April 2012, the Australian government adopted the “Vulnerable” status for the koala in NSW, the ACT and QLD. In just ten years, this status has been updated to “Endangered.” The Queensland Minister has even called the Queensland koala population “functionally extinct.” However, Victoria and South Australia have so far been excluded from the listings.

“Which is ridiculous. Why should some Koalas miss out?” Tabart says.

The AKF has been disappointed numerous times by the government’s ineffective actions towards conserving the koala, and is calling for the urgent adoption of a Koala Protection Act. Half-hearted solutions will only delay the inevitable: what they need is strong, well thought out legislation action to stop the continuous damage to the natural koala's natural habitat.

The message is simple: “No tree, no me.”

To find out more about the AKF’s plans to save the koala, visit savethekoala.com.

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SAVING AUSTRALIAN HONEYBEES A research project conducted

by Macquarie University hopes to stop the decline of our honeybee population.

Words: Matilda Meikle

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ENVIRONMENT

Scientists are working to develop a new immunity-boosted probiotic, which may help fight the infections causing bees to disappear around the world. They are aiming to boost the honeybee’s resistance to disease – strengthening their immunity – so they can continue to thrive and make a positive impact on their surrounding environment.

Project lead Dr Fleur Ponton, from the School of Natural Sciences, says that infectious diseases making their way into hives harm the bee’s ability to pollinate.

“Several different diseases infect hives and it is challenging to anticipate which disease is actually responsible for poor hive performance. With this in mind, our team is working towards a more broad-spectrum approach to disease resistance instead of looking at just one singular infection.”

THE BEES KNEES Honeybees are a vital part of our ecosystem. By carrying out the important process of pollination, they support food security and variety in plants and animals. Around 75 per cent of crops produce better yield if they’re helped to pollinate, and bees are the biggest group of pollinators in the world.

According to Hort Innovation, crops dependent on pollination in Australia are worth around $4.3 billion per year.

With an estimated 600,000 hives across the country, and a honey production of around 30,000 tonnes annually, it’s clear bees are important to several parts of everyday life.

However, bee colonies are facing the threat of a declining population, affecting global food supply and the pollination of crops. This may be due to an increased use of pesticides, the growth of urbanisation, and global warming, impacting the bees’ ability to survive. Australia is also the only country where the parasitic varroa mite has not yet impacted the bee population. The mite is known as a major cause of colony collapse, and has a disastrous effect on the honeybee species.

Without bees, both humanity and the environment suffer, meaning scientists are now searching for new ways to keep this species safe.

WHAT'S THE BUZZ? This new research program is funded

by Hort Innovation and Macquarie University, supporting the Hort Frontiers Pollination fund which aims to protect bee species around the world from extinction.

The focus of Dr Ponton and her team is to create tools which detect diseases in hives before they are given the chance to spread.

According to her colleague and

fellow scientist, Dr Ajay Narendra, “an early warning system for disease detection could be very useful from a biosecurity perspective, helping scientists monitor for new diseases entering hives and infecting bees.”

The project will also focus on how illnesses affect a bee’s ability to learn and memorise, leading to reduced pollination and hive performance. If bees are unable to relocate their hives and find food after their day-to-day activities, they face strong challenges to survival.

The team behind this research is investigating many ways to deliver these probiotics to the hives.

“The possibilities for delivery are endless. One potential idea could include supplemental feeding to honeybee hives, a common practice already in many countries but less developed in Australia,” says Dr Ponton.

While research is still being undertaken, these scientists are dedicated to finding innovative and long-lasting solutions, helping to secure the future of bee populations around the world and maintain environmental wellbeing.

OPPOSITE: HONEYBEES ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM. RIGHT: THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 600,000 HIVES ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

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CHARITY

READ IT ONLINE

SIMPLY HOVER OVER A QR CODE TO DONATE TO THESE AMAZING CHARITIES THIS PAGE: DEADLY SCIENCE PROVIDES SCIENCE RESOURCES TO 180 COMMUNITIES. IMAGE: DEADLY SCIENCE OPPOSITE: AT TWO GOOD CO, FOOD CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IMAGE: TWO GOOD CO.

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CHARITY

GIVING BACK Across the country, Australian communities are constantly coming together to help those in need. Whether it’s to provide for those less fortunate, or to save animals in trouble, these charities are examples of the power we have when we work together for a brighter future.

Words: Matilda Meikle

TWO GOOD CO For every meal purchased at Two Good Co, another meal is donated to a local women’s DONATE NOW refuge for domestic violence.

This amazing charity project began ten years ago as a soup kitchen in a church. Inspired by their ability to help those in need, this quickly developed into the “buy one, give one” model used today, so you can enjoy a hearty and delicious meal while giving back to those who are less fortunate.

Two Good Co was launched in 2015, and has now delivered over 184,000 meals across Sydney and Melbourne. Their menu is chef-designed, using high-quality

ingredients for amazing results, and all made to order. The leading chefs helping to create these meals include household names like Maggie Beer, Kylie Kwong and Neil Perry, who provide the recipes which Two Good Co’s meals are based on.

The charity also helps to provide employment opportunities to women from the shelters through their Work Work program. Partnering with social workers, Two Good Co pays these women to prepare their meals, as well as finding pathways for future employment. This has led to over 35,000 hours of paid work for women in need.

As well as delicious meals, they also sell personal care products including soap and shampoo, made from 100 per cent Australian, natural ingredients. Using the money raised from these care products, Two Good Co donates care packages to women in shelters, helping to spread love and comfort.

Their philosophy is simple: food is more than food. It can bring people together, it can provide comfort and it can make a difference. To help, you can simply purchase a meal from their website, and they will make sure that the same meal is delivered to one of their partners around the country.

FRIENDS OF THE HOUND Friends of the Hound is the charity that rescues and DONATE NOW finds companion homes for greyhounds from the racing industry. According to the Special Commission of Inquiry into Greyhound  AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022

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CHARITY FROM TOP: FRIENDS OF THE HOUND FIND COMPANION HOMES FOR RESCUED GREYHOUNDS. IMAGE: FRIENDS OF THE HOUND; TWO GOOD CO DONATES TO WOMEN’S SHELTERS. IMAGE: TWO GOOD CO.

Racing, between 50 to 70 per cent of greyhounds bred for the commercial betting industry in NSW in 2016 were killed after being deemed uncompetitive as racing dogs.

While still racing, these animals are kept in cages, forced to run under stressful conditions and constantly put at risk of serious harm or death.

At Friends of the Hound, their mission is to put an end to this horrible cycle and create more public awareness. Each year, they help to save around 250 dogs, worming and desexing the greyhounds under their care, as well as providing surgery for any serious injuries.

All greyhounds receive their own coat, collar, lead, toy, tag and muzzle to make them feel more comfortable in any home they may end up in.

As a volunteer-based, not-for-

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profit organisation, the charity relies solely on the generosity and support of the community. Greyhounds are calm and sensitive animals who are sociable and mix well with other pets.

Through a program of promotion and education, Friends of the Hound aims to dispel any misconceptions about greyhounds and rally support for these animals in need. By adopting one of these beautiful animals, you can help Friends of the Hound continue to protect and rehabilitate these dogs, as they’ve done with over 3,000 greyhounds so far.

The organisation has over 18 years experience in reducing and protecting greyhounds. They work tirelessly to ensure these greyhounds find suitable, permanent homes as family pets and companions.

DEADLY SCIENCE Deadly Science is all about promoting children’s interest DONATE NOW and engagement with science. They provide science resources, mentoring, and training to over 180 remote and regional schools, with a focus on Indigenous communities. This includes sending over 16,000 books

and 700 telescopes to communities all over Australia, ensuring all young people have equal access to STEM learning and the opportunities that come with it.

The idea for this charity started when founder Corey Tutt realised just how little scientific resources were being dedicated to remote schools.

He picked up a second job to buy and deliver books from his own pocket, and this quickly turned into a fully fledged company.

Today, Deadly Science aims to encourage Indigenous people in STEM to innovate and discover.

They want to celebrate what our first scientists have achieved, and what they will continue to achieve into the future. Schools who get involved with the program have reported a massive increase in engagement with STEM, as well as higher overall attendance levels. Deadly Science believes that science is a lifelong pursuit, one which helps to advance knowledge and creativity. They want to ensure all children have equal access to this chance to grow and learn, no matter where they come from.

And now, inspired by the philosophy of Deadly Science, Tutt and his team are working on Deadly Labs. This project will develop and distribute in-class experimental kits for children in remote communities. Each kit will contain an experiment, activity worksheet and a video featuring an expert scientist, allowing kids to immerse themselves in the world of experimentation and documentation.

By donating to DeadlyScience, you will be ensuring that remote and regional schools are supplied with all the tools they need to teach an amazing science curriculum, and inspiring kids to think bigger and dream higher.

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EDUCATION SPECIAL

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE AT TOWNSVILLE CATHOLIC EDUCATION Start a new adventure and further your career in a collaborative teaching community Townsville Catholic Education (TCE) is a flourishing organisation providing a strong sense of community and learning engagements within each school it supports.

In addition to the pure thrill of helping students take significant leaps in their education, we also offer our people a strong sense of community, a wealth of professional development, a collaborative teaching community and a broad range of career options.

With 29 schools located across north Queensland, there is a lifestyle to suit everyone. From the reef and tropical islands to the historic rich outback; from access to waterfalls and the rainforest to city life in Queensland’s largest regional city.

The Townsville Diocese spans an area of more than 435,000 square kilometres across north and northwest Queensland. We employ more than 2,500 staff within the Diocese.

We support 29 Catholic schools, which includes

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18 primary schools, five secondary schools, two boarding colleges, five Prep to Year 12 colleges and one Prep to Year 9 school.

Teaching is an exciting, challenging and rewarding career, and in isolated, remote or regional communities, it can be even more rewarding.

Each year, TCE recruits energetic and committed

EDUCATION SPECIAL

teachers who want to make a difference in the lives of children in remote and rural communities.

These communities include Hughenden, Winton, Collinsville, Cloncurry, Mount Isa and Palm Island.

We recognise that teachers locating to our remote schools will be required to live and work in vastly different ways to their colleagues situated in major regional centres.

Because of this, financial benefits and other conditions and incentives are available to those who choose to live in rural and remote communities.

We also offer a number of professional development and training opportunities for staff within the organisation. From staff gatherings to personal development days, there is something for everyone regardless of whether you

work in the Townsville Catholic Education Office or in one of the 29 schools in the Diocese.

If you are looking to start a new adventure and further your career in education amongst a collaborative teaching community, get in touch with us today. tsv.catholic.edu.au

MYTH BUSTING Do I have to be Catholic to teach in a Catholic school?

No. It is important to TCE that the Catholic identity and ethos of the school is maintained, however if you’re not Catholic but willing to support the school's ethos, your application is welcomed.

We currently have 44% of employees who are not Catholic.

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Whether it be coastal cities and towns, outback communities, or a tropical island, Townsville Catholic Education is looking for the best and brightest talent to join our team and with 29 schools all across North Queensland, there is a lifestyle and location to suit everyone.

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Kickstart your career with us and join the Townsville Catholic Education team now! www.tsv.catholic.edu.au

LAST WORD

NO BONES ABOUT IT: AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST DINOSAUR IS TURNING ONE The 92-million-year-old dinosaur Australotitan cooperensis from Eromanga is celebrating its first modern birthday this year.

Words: Phoebe Tran

Sandy Mackenzie, the son of field palaeontologist Robyn Mackenzie, first discovered a memorable “rock” in 2004 in South West Queensland. That rock turned out to be Australotitan cooperensis (nicknamed “Cooper”) and led the family to found Outback Gondwana Foundation Limited and, later, the Eromanga Natural History Museum.

It was a lengthy process to uncover, identify and classify Cooper. This involved using new digital technology to 3-D scan each bone, comparing the bones and researching for the study of Cooper to be finalised in 2021, making 2022 its first modern birthday.

When the discovery of Australotitan cooperensis was first announced, people from Australia and all over the world showed overwhelming interest in the dinosaur.

“It was the most successful species announcement that the Queensland Museum and the Eromanga Natural History Museum had ever seen and was regarded as one of the top discoveries

“It’s certainly fun and timely to think about how Australia’s largest ever dinosaur discovery would stack up against the ‘Jurassic Park’ titans that have captured our imaginations for almost 30 years, as well as the dinosaurs that will feature in the ‘Prehistoric Planet’ docuseries.”

– Corey Richards, Operations Manager at Eromanga Natural History Museum

of 2021,” says Corey Richards, the Eromanga Natural History Museum Operations Manager.

MOVE OVER T-REX This giant dinosaur is taller, more than twice as long and eleven times heavier than the iconic T-Rex represented in the original Jurassic Park movie. Estimated to have reached a height of 5-6.5 meters at the hip and 25-30 meters in length,

Cooper was as long as a basketball court and as tall as a two-storey building.

Weighing up to 67,000 kgs – the equivalent of six average school buses, ten large African elephants and more than 1,000 real-life velociraptors – the Australotitan is a gigantic titanosaur, a plant-eating dinosaur group that represents the largest animals that walked on Earth more than 90 million years ago.

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LAST WORD

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: DINOSAUR SIGN IN EROMANGA. IMAGE: TOURISM AND EVENTS QLD; A RENDER OF THE DIG SITE; A TO-SCALE RENDER OF COOPER.

Outback Queensland was a very different place back then, with significantly higher rainfall, more oxygen and much more vegetation. According to Corey, this made it the perfect place for Cooper and other species of dinosaurs to thrive.

Corey also shared another interesting find: “the femur has a crush mark from another dinosaur giant, indicating that in those last moments of his life the dinosaur was trodden on, being eventually set in stone.”

Contrary to the belief that these massive dinosaurs were found only in South America, this discovery has served as evidence that they were dispersed across the ancient Gondwana continent, which 100 million years ago was the conglomeration of Australia, Antarctica and South America.

Corey also believes that even bigger dinosaurs could exist within Australia: “The largest dinosaur in the world Patagotitan Mayorum grew up to 35-38 meters long. Still, there is some room for them to grow, it’s quite possible we could find something bigger.”

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DINO-MANIA These dinosaur discoveries are not only fundamental for scientific development but they are also gold for tourism, providing a much-need economic boost to the remote town of Eromanga and surrounding regions.

Dinosaurs are having a huge pop culture revival with blockbusters like Jurassic World: Dominion gaining popularity internationally, encouraging younger generations to take an interest in prehistory and palaeontology.

“There is nothing more special than discovering and preparing a fossil that no human or animal has ever seen; telling the story of what lies beneath is goosebumpinducing and only a number of lucky people get to experience it. Quite possibly the best part of my job is that we are cementing the presence of our past for future generations and being able to see the lightbulb moment when visitors gauge the size and age of these specimens is very special also,” concludes Corey.

FAST FACT The Australotitan cooperensis was as long as a basketball court and as tall as a two-storey building.

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