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Category: Waste Reduction & The Circular Economy
Project: Reusable, reyclable nursery trays
We were selected as one of the top 3 finalists in the Industry Leader: Waste Reduction & The Circular Economy category for our innovative, in-house reuse and recycle multiplant nursery trays. We grow over 2.5 millions plants per year, making us realise that single-use plastic pots used by the horticultural industry have the potential to generate large amounts of plastic waste, much of which can potentially end up in landfill. To avoid this waste in our operations, we decided to create our own circular-economy solution that benefits our own planting operations as well as our clients who purchase our plants.
We have replaced almost all single-use plastic pots at our nursery with durable, reusable multi-plant trays. In 2013, we designed and developed our own unique moulded trays, manufactured in Melbourne from Polypropylene. The 20 cell x 200cc multi-use tray replaces forestry tubes, and our 12 cell x 600cc trays provide stock similar in size to 150mm pots. To incentivize our clients to return our trays to us, we offer a deposit refund on all returned trays, effectively paying our clients to recycle! Upon the trays’ return, we use a pot-washing machine to sterilize the tray for reuse. Once a tray’s lifecycle is complete, they are recycled into other plastic products.
Award: Landscaping Victoria Industry Awards
Project: Clyde Creek Project
This entry showcases our leading wetland standards as learned over a decade of continuous projects along this creekline. A range of clients have collaborated to turn large sections of Clyde Creek into a wildlife and biodiversity corridor, with space for nature and the local communities to enjoy.
Australian Ecosystems landscape and revegetated several sets of wetlands along this creekline that filter stormwater from adjascent housing estates before it enters Westerport Bay. Over a 10 year period we have collected seed and cuttings, propagated and planted over 500,000 locally indigenous plants, achieving 80% plant coverage across a series of sections of this waterway in Melbourne’s southe east; including Edgebrook and Delaray Estates, the Cascade Wetland complex, and others. Our nursery produced plants in formats to comply with the Melbourne Water Wetland design manual and we protected plants from rabbit and bird grazing as they established.
Judge’s Comments
“Australian Ecosystems has demonstrated over a long period of time an incredible commitment to sustainable practices. The innovation they continue to demonstrate is an exemplar of the industry, and the success of their practice is heard through deafening frog song and by the many birds that grace what was recently an agricultural drain devoid of life. The incredibly nuanced plant selection has resulted in a low maintenance, high performing landscape that has multiple ecological and social benefits.”
Award: Landscaping Victoria Industry Awards
Project: The Cape Public Landscape
Australian Ecosystems & The Sustainable Landscape Company designed and constructed all elements of the landscape at this award-winning estate on the Bass Strait in Cape Paterson. Our team designed, constructed and installed kilometers of granitic sand coastal paths, wetlands, waterways and habitat areas, a large nature-play and adventure playground, fitness stations, an off-leash dog park, streetscapes, parklands, water treatment swales, and much more.
We propagated and planted over 100,000 locally indigenous plants for the streetscapes, wetlands and habitat restoration areas, and set up systems to protect these establishing plants from grazing during their establishment period. We designed and constructed the first stage of a community farm that is very water efficient and low maintenance, the off leash dog park and shelter which have become very popular and include water features, habitat areas, and zones for different types of dogs. The creekline and waterways through teh estate have been transformed from a narrow drain to a series of pondages and waterways rich in habitat for birdlife. Over 100 species of birds have been counted at The Cape so far, as well as a wide variety of other fauna including kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, wombats, and healthy populations of frog, insect & reptile species.
This project shows the potential for nature and people when the landscape is considered a priority by the developer.
Judge’s Comments: “Introducing truly sustainable housing developments within the restrictions of typical regulations is a truly herculean effort which The Cape has succeeded in doing. The development considers every aspect of sustainability, always in a meaningful and rigorous fashion, never taking the easy way out or resorting to tokenism. The design combats the Urban Heat Island effect and has in every way strived to achieve carbon neutrality. The success of the project is evidenced by the vast increase of animal species that have inhabited the development in a short period of time. “
Our Pop-up Urban Farm in Port Melbourne took home the 2019 Sustainable Landscape Award. The Pop-up Urban Farm is outside Cirrus Fine Coffee Roastery and has grown over 450 kgs of fresh produce in 12 months using composted coffee grounds, coffee chaff and organics from the South Melbourne Market. That’s almost half a tonne of food from 2 car spaces in 12 months. The project uses modular wicking garden beds designed by our sister company Biofilta as well as recycled materials and was praised for addressing urban heat island effect and urban hydrological systems. We are super proud of this project and we hope that it will be just one of many urban food projects that Australian Ecosystems collaborates on into the future.
Award: Landscaping Victoria Industry Awards
Located along the western bank of the Mullum Mullum Creek in Donvale, Mullum Creek Estate is a sustainable development where clever landscape design is being used to encourage residents to engage with the natural environment. Embedded in the vision for the estate is a respect for the existing environment and topography as well as environmental and ecological sensitivity and adaptability to a changing climate. This broad vision has been reflected throughout the project’s journey, from the design principles implemented by CDA’s Matthew Hamilton to the construction of the streetscapes, wetland and surround landscapes by Australian Ecosystems.
Judge’s comments – “The project at Mullum Creek in Donvale is a fantastic exemplar of a natural built landscape. The hydrology and ecology of the site has been well-considered, with runoff from the development site treated by a constructed wetland before it enters the nearby Mullum creek. Indigenous plantings have extended the remnant vegetation into the landscape and wetland, from seed previously collected from the site. Furniture, fences and bollards were milled on-site from timber that was already on the property. Much thought has been put into making the Mullum Creek development a beautiful, sustainable landscape.”
Award: Landscaping Victoria Industry Awards
The Warralily Estate wetlands and creekline restoration project at Connewarre stretches across several kilometres of Armstrong Creek between Barwon Heads and Geelong. The project involved seed collection, propagation and planting of more than 1 million locally indigenous plants, as well as installing hectares of mulch, jutemat and rockwork, habitat stags, and over a kilometre of concrete pathway and street furniture. The Landscaping Victoria judges panel described the Connewarre project as “a major environmental project that is immaculately detailed, making it a community success – a beautiful place for walking, playing and enjoying the outdoors for humans, and through natural rock placement and the use of tree stags as habitat areas, a sanctuary for wildlife too.” The project brought together elements of sustainability, plant selection and water usage to build a beautiful wetland which interacts harmoniously on all levels and enhances the natural environment. The project also won Landscaping Victoria awards for Use of Plants in the Landscape, Landscape Management and Maintenance and the Natural Built Environment.
Award: Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
Project: Gum Scrub Creek
Creating a 10-hectare wetland in an urban growth area degraded by agriculture takes vision and quality of execution. Gum Scrub Creek is such a project. Located in Officer, Melbourne, the project has taken five years of planning to deliver, and sets a benchmark for quality urban development. Exploring the project even at the basic level reveals innovations in engineering interventions, including bio-filtration systems and habitat ponds. But the results go deeper, the completed project reveals crafted natural patterns, architectural interventions and, most crucially, community pride. Combining natural restoration with creative stormwater management, the project provides a habitat for threatened species and promotes the restoration of diminishing ecosystems. Once a farmers’ drain, Gum Scrub Creek has become a centre for community engagement and a developing natural environment to be cherished by generations to come.
Award: Society of Ecological Restoration Australasia
Project: Mordialloc Creek
‘The Waterways’ is a 48-hectare restoration project located on Mordialloc Creek in Melbourne’s south- eastern suburbs which combines a housing estate with large areas of restored habitat set aside for indigenous fauna and flora in open space, lakes and other wetlands. Restoration of the site commenced in October 2000 and by 2003 over 2 million local provenance, indigenous plants were established. In 2016 The Waterways received the Award for Excellence in Restoration Practice by The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (http://seraustralasia.com/).
At the Landscaping Victoria 2016 Gala, Australian Ecosystems received the ‘Highly Commended’ award in the category “Commercial Landscape over $500,000”. Our Open Space Reserve and Wetlands project ‘Enclave’ in Ascot Vale was delivered on time and on budget for our client Mirvac. A comprehensive design by MDG Landscape Architects meant Australian Ecosystems could deliver the project to the exacting standards of the client and rigorous criteria of the Landscaping Victoria judges.
Australian Ecosystems was part of the project team receiving a Finalist award in the category of ‘Environmental Protection’ for Armstrong Creek at Warralily Estate. The creek line and surrounding areas have been restored based on a land capability assessment and an understanding of the hydrological, environmental, social and economic context of the site. A 2.8 km section of the creek now fulfils key water quality, flood management, public amenity and environmental system objectives. With nearly 1,000,000 native and indigenous plants along the length of the corridor – this environmental asset is providing enormous benefits to the local flora, fauna and community of Armstrong Creek.
At the Stormwater Victoria and National 2016 Excellence Awards, Australian Ecosystems was part of the winning team receiving the award for ‘Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design’ for Armstrong Creek at Warralily Estate. The creekline was once a gun barrel straight, degraded channel in a farmers paddock, and has been reworked to create a beautiful series of wetlands and creek line, and has been transformed into a great habitat corridor in the Geelong area. The restored landscape delivers multiple benefits including filtering stormwater, creation of a great walking corridor for residents, and significant habitat with a high density of frogs, waterbirds and other animals moving in. It was great to work with the team at Warralily Estate who made the project possible, and collaborating partners GBLA, SMEC and Neil Craigie. For a fly through of the completed project click here.
At the Stormwater Victoria 2015 Excellence Awards, Australian Ecosystems was part of the winning team receiving the award for ‘Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design’ for Gum Scrub Creek . The project was led by Outlines Landscape Architecture. Australian Ecosystems staff installed approximately 6 hectares of jutemat on this project and installed close to 400,000 plants. The Australian Ecosystems nursery collected seed and propagated the bulk of the plants, and acted as a staging post for several community nurseries who grew plants for the project. Our staff have been maintaining the project for the past 18 months. Recent site inspections have revealed minimal plant losses and major recruitment of indigenous plants from seed set as well as very low weed presence across the site.
Award: Urban Development Institute of Australia
In 2014 Australian Ecosystems was recognised by the UDIA for the outstanding achievement in ecological services provided to Caroline Springs.
Award: UN World Environment Day Award
Our work in restoration of biodiversity was recognised at the 2013 United Nations Association of Australia environmental awards held in Melbourne.
HIA GreenSmart Awards recognise the diligent efforts of environmentally-aware residential builders, designers and manufacturers. The Awards recognise those who build or design environmentally-friendly homes, provide solutions to make homes more efficient or create new products for the building industry.
Celebrating innovation and excellence when delivering landscaping works as part of the Victorian desalination green roof project.
HIA GreenSmart Awards recognise the diligent efforts of environmentally-aware residential builders, designers and manufacturers. The Awards recognise those who build or design environmentally-friendly homes, provide solutions to make homes more efficient or create new products for the building industry.
