Our Earth Positive Case Studies share stories of the Australian remediation industry. Plenty of sites have been remediated but publicly accessible information about them is scattered and there is a gap in information about important milestone projects.
Some of our Case Studies offer detailed information, others less so. Whether in depth or summaries, our Case Study selection offers insight into how land and water contamination is addressed. Contamination can be reduced and sometimes it can be eliminated. It depends on the situation.
The remediation industry has been around since the early 1990s and has grown to become a major player in the economy, creating capital value and generating employment, most of which requires high value skills. Some, though not all, of its achievements have been groundbreaking and shown the way for urban renewal to a global audience.
The scope of new technological advances and management methods that are used in the industry is impressive. They can support high quality remediation, but only if there are people with the skills to use and apply them effectively, a sufficient budget and a supportive regulatory environment. As well as the business and legal side of things, there is also a social aspect to remediation. People living in a community where pollution clean-up is planned have a right to know what it involves, and what the risks and benefits are. If this is done through good quality social engagement, then remediation projects can get buy-in from the community, particularly when there are difficult problems to solve. And there often are!
