Verterra Projects
Discover our on-ground expertise in project design and delivery.
Managing Environmental Risk and Long-Term Site Performance
The former Collinsville Power Station estate presented a combination of immediate environmental risks and longer-term closure and property management requirements. Key issues included moderate to severe erosion across the capped ash mound, declaired weed infestations, and the ongoing management of the broader estate.
Verterra was engaged to develop a practical, evidence-based response to risks and support regulatory approval for ash dam closure, which evolved into a broader estate monitoring and management role.
Establishing an Evidence-based Pathway to Regulatory Approved Closure of an Ash Dam
The closure of Collinsville ash dam required a practical and cost-effective approach capable of satisfying regulatory requirements, while limiting long-term environmental liabilities and supporting future land-use.
Environmental monitoring alone could not provide sufficient confidence that the ash dam would remain stable, or that heavy metals within the ash would not adversely affect groundwater and vegetation.
Verterra developed a risk-based closure approach supported by quantitative analysis, targeted monitoring and adaptive management, utlimately achieving what is believed to be Queensland’s first regulatory approval for the closure of an ash dam.
Integrating Soil Evidence and Revegetation Design for Mine Water Diversions
This client required detailled designs for surface-water management at a mine that included three proposed water diversions. These needed to function as stable waterways that would remain in equilibrium with the surrounding landscape and avoid adverse impacts on upstream and downstream environments.
Achieving this needed more than hydraulic and landform design, it needed vegetation capabile of stabilising the diversion banks and contributing to ecological function of the waterways.
Monitoring Vegetation Respose to Subsidence-related Inundation
Environmental Authority conditions at this mine limit the impact of mining activities on remnant vegetation within the lease, however, subsidence above longwall mining operations had created local drainage depressions.
This had resulted in seasonal inundation and vegetation mortality and affected areas included mapped Category A or B vegetation and contained an endangered Regional Ecosystem.
Verterra was engaged to develop a rolling ecological monitoring program to establish baseline vegetation condition, assess the effects of inundation and provide evidence for future management decisions.
Evaluating Pit Rock as an Alternative Rehabilitation Material
Rock mulching can help protect mine rehabilitation surfaces from erosion, but sourcing suitable quarry rock can add significant cost through additional drilling, blasting and haulage.
In 2017, this client established a 10,000 bank cubic metre trial to investigate whether rock extracted during mining could provide a practical alternative.
For pit rock to perform effectively in rehabilitation, it must remain sufficiently competent when exposed to weathering, resisting breakdown and erosion, and avoid releasing salts or other materials that could constrain vegetation establishment.
Verterra was engaged to assess the trial and determine whether the material could be a viable alternative to quarry rock.
Gully Rehabilitation for Envomark Reef Credits
For this ReVert Landscape Rehabilitation project Verterra was engaged to rehabilitate a large, actively eroding gully system adjacent to the Bowen River in North Queensland. Delivered in partnership with Alluvium through the Landscape Restoration Partnership, this project represents Australia’s first gully rehabilitation initiative registered under the ENVOMARK Reef Credit Methodology - establishing a benchmark for large-scale sediment reduction projects designed to improve water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
From Failure to Function: Restoring Vegetation on Tailings Dams
Revegetation of mine tailings often relies on a thin soil cover to support vegetation growth. However, these tailings can be chemically and physically hostile to plants—especially when the depth of the cover soil is limited due to resource constraints. Poor vegetation establishment in these areas increases erosion risk and presents ongoing environmental and regulatory challenges, so when revegetation persistently fails, an in depth investigation is required.
Fitzroy River Water Quality Improvement Project
Verterra’s largest project to date, providing a novel solution to water quality improvement that combines grazing improvement with ecosystem service market opportunities such as carbon farming and reef credits administered through 3rd parties.
Grosvenor Subsidence Impact Assessment
Verterra has specific expertise and prior experience in detailed spatial and quantitative impact assessment and analysis of the effect of subsidence. This project, carried out for Anglo American’s Grosvenor Coal Mine, assessed the impact of subsidence on native vegetation.
Mt Wickham Gully Rehabilitation
Innovative Design and operational delivery over two phases of alluvial gully rehabilitation at th Mt Wickham property, 38km WNW of Collinsville aimed at erosion control, and water quality improvements from significant reduction of fine sediment loss to regional waterways that directly impact the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon with ecosystem stresses, including to inshore reef and seagrass beds.