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The CQUniversity Opal Awards

Engaged Research and Innovation

Finalist: Research and Promotion of Phytocapping Technique of Landfill Remediation in Australia

Dr Nanjappa Ashwath and Kartik Venkatraman - ROCKHAMPTON

This research project investigates an environmentally friendly, economical landfill capping technique called phytocapping. Modern living results in substantial waste generation. This waste must be appropriately managed to minimise environmental problems such as leachate generation and methane gas emission from the landfills.

Several field trials have been conducted since 2000 in Brisbane, Noosa, Rockhampton, Townsville, Lismore, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, with the view to testing the effectiveness of the phytocapping system. This project attracted $4 million via Waste Management Association of Australia (WMAA), ARC Linkage and 20 local councils in Australia. Several scientists from 5 Universities, CSIRO, and environmental consultants are involved in the project.

Nanjappa Ashwath

The results from the trials are extremely positive. This technology offers many environmental and social benefits, and the environmental protection agencies across the nation are considering amending the legislation to accept phytocapping as one of the landfill remediation techniques. Once implemented, phytocapping can save Australians billions of dollars and will revolutionise landfill capping techniques in Australia and potentially worldwide.
CQUniversity Australia has played a pivotal role both in the initiation of Phytocapping and testing for its effectiveness due to its expertise in native plants which are the 'engines' of phytocapping systems. The phytocapping project has put CQUniversity Australia at the national front and is responsible for initiating achange in national legislation on landfill remediation practices. This research project took a collaborative approach and addressed an important environmental problem. It has helped to promote CQUniversity as an innovative contributor to environmental research and has built strong working relationships with government, other universities and the environmental industry.