Enviro 2010

TOUR CLOTHING REQUIREMENTS: Closed-in footwear and long pants are required for all tours. It is suggested that you bring a hat, sunscreen and some water. All tours will return to the MCEC no later than 3.00pm

All Tour Attendees must register and assemble in MCEC concourse by no later than 9.00am

TOUR 1 - Water

Site 1: WSUD in an Urban Setting
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is about integration of water cycle management into urban planning and design. Principles of WSUD include protecting natural systems, integrate stormwater treatment into the landscape, protecting water quality, reducing runoff and peak flows and adding value while minimising development costs. In new developments this approach is easy top do but incorporating the principles into existing subdivisions is not.

Projects looked at have located treatments in car parks, along footpaths and in built up and green open spaces in an about the CBD. Treatments can have benefits beyond drainage such as roadside tree watering, filtering our pollutants and aesthetic value and these all help to make applying WSUD a critical part of Cities of the Future.

Site 2: Renovating Dights Falls
Melbourne Water manages the heritage-listed Dights Falls Weir in the Yarra River in Abbotsford, which is a popular inner Melbourne landmark. The first weir at the site was built in the 1840s to provide water to Melbourne’s first water powered flour mill. The current weir structure was built in the 1940s and partly replaced in the 1960s. A fish ladder was incorporated into the weir in the 1990s as were modifications for kayaking downstream of the weir.

Studies have found the weir is in poor condition and is a barrier to fish moving naturally up and down the river. After investigating different options Melbourne Water has determined that the weir needs to be replaced and is conducting geotechnical investigations at the site to assist in preparation of a detailed design for both the new weir and an improved fishway.

Site 3: Replacing Melbourne Main Sewer
Melbourne Water is replacing a section of the existing Melbourne Main Sewer. The new main sewer travels approximately 2.3km from Docklands, crossing the Yarra River upstream of the Charles Grimes Bridge, and into Port Melbourne. The Sewer collects waste water from central Melbourne, Docklands, Port Melbourne and South Melbourne and at Beacon Cove it connects with the Hobsons Bay Main which then carries the waste water to Werribee for treatment. The original sewer was constructed between 1894 and 1897 and was constructed from a variety of materials, ranging from bluestone, brick, cast iron, Portland cement and concrete sourced from local suppliers.

An interesting aspect of the project is how it will cross the Yarra River. The crossing will be constructed under a staged process using sheet piling to ensure that the river remains open to marine traffic at all times. Using floating barges, sheet piling will be installed in the river for each stage to allow the safe removal of river silt within the sheet piling.

TOUR 2 - Resource Recovery

Site 1: Alex Fraser
During this site visit participants will view the latest in technologies in regards to recycling of waste concrete, environmental controls and environmental performance monitoring. The crushing plant with a capacity of 350tph produces crushed products sold throughout the civil sector. The site was specifically designed to minimise visual and audio impacts to the public. Originally, it was a sand quarry which had no rehabilitation completed prior to Alex Fraser acquiring the title, so a lot of capital and effort went into planting out 85,000 trees and shrubs to improve the visual aspects of the site.

Site 2: Polymer Plastics
Polymer Processors operates from a 4 acre property in Braeside, Melbourne, where they fulfil the recycling needs for predominately the Victorian plastic industry. Recently, Polymer Processors installed a plastic washing plant to satisfy the customers desire to meet their ‘closed loop’ responsibilities to their particular industry.

Polymer Processors have made a concerted effort to install versatile machinery to enable broader capabilities of recycling, be it large purging lumps, pipe, mouldings or plastic film. Going forward, Polymer Processors committed to assisting their customer’s willingness to reduce their ‘environmental footprint’ and are constantly exploring new avenues to also reduce their own.

Site 3: Steinert Australia
This tour will include a brief presentation on separation technologies and demonstrations of: ferrous metal recovery using a magnetic separator; non-ferrous metal recovery using an eddy current separator; removal of metals from woodchips with an induction sorting system; and separation of a. chlorides from other plastics and broken glass and ceramics from organic fractions using an X-ray sorting system.

TOUR 2 - Buildings

Site 1: MCEC
The Melbourne Convention Centre is the first and only convention centre with a ‘6 Star Green Star’ environmental rating, representing world leadership in design and operational features.

Features include: fresh air rates; solar hot water; low volatile organic compounds (VOC); black-water treatment facility; displacement ventilation; radiant slab heating & cooling; expansive glass façade; & energy efficient lighting

Site 2: ANZ
The ANZ Centre is one of the world's most environmentally progressive financial sector workplaces. The building has achieved a 6 Star Green Star 'Office Design' rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, and is also registered for a 6 Star Green Star rating in the categories of 'Office as Built' and 'Office Interiors'.

Some of the features include: tri-generation plant; solar panels; wind turbines; river cooling; underfloor cooling; black-water recycling; stormwater reuse; green roof; & sun shading

Site 3: VicUrban
The northern half of the historic former Victorian Railways No.2 Goods Shed has been refurbished to create Victoria’s first heritage-listed building to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating for Office Design from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Some of the ecologically sustainable design features include: active chilled beam / displacement HVAC system; gas fired tri-generation plant; displacement / underfloor system; rainwater harvesting; grey water system; re-use of construction materials; dedicated bicycle storage and shower facilities; & no car parking

Site 4: EPA
The EPA has moved to a refurbished building with a 6-star Green Star rating for design.

Features of the building include: refitted boiler house; tri-generation plant; use of reused materials e.g. rubber and timber for the floors; kitchen recycling; energy efficiency lighting; use of natural lighting through atrium; & carbon dioxide monitors

TOUR 4 - Combined

Site 1: Steinert Australia
This tour will include a brief presentation on separation technologies and demonstrations of: ferrous metal recovery using a magnetic separator; non-ferrous metal recovery using an eddy current separator; removal of metals from woodchips with an induction sorting system; and separation of a. chlorides from other plastics and broken glass and ceramics from organic fractions using an X-ray sorting system.

Site 2: CH2 Building
CH2 is a visionary building leading the way in ecologically sustainable design and facility management. CH2 has been designed to not only conserve energy and water, but the quality of the internal environment of building has also been designed to improve the wellbeing of its occupants. CH2 demonstrates a new approach to workplace design, creating a model for others to learn from and follow.

Site 3: Renovating Dights Falls
Melbourne Water manages the heritage-listed Dights Falls Weir in the Yarra River in Abbotsford, which is a popular inner Melbourne landmark. The first weir at the site was built in the 1840s to provide water to Melbourne’s first water powered flour mill. The current weir structure was built in the 1940s and partly replaced in the 1960s. A fish ladder was incorporated into the weir in the 1990s as were modifications for kayaking downstream of the weir.

Studies have found the weir is in poor condition and is a barrier to fish moving naturally up and down the river. After investigating different options Melbourne Water has determined that the weir needs to be replaced and is conducting geotechnical investigations at the site to assist in preparation of a detailed design for both the new weir and an improved fishway.