QLD based
Global Road
Technology
(GRT) is
reaching out to
the community
to share news
of their work
and learnings
over the years.
They hope that
this news will
encourage many
parties to join
hands in the
ongoing
environmental
efforts to
address the
bushfire crisis
in
Australia.
The
recent
wildfires have
left Australia
absolutely
devastated in
multiple ways,
and a number of
companies—Global
Road Technology
among
them—have
risen up to try
and offer their
help. This year
saw Australia
face a severely
hot and dry
spell, which
meant
Australia’s
annual ‘fire
season’ was
going to be
potentially
much riskier
than in
previous years.
This resulted
in a series of
massive
bushfires that
have been
ravaging
Australia for
weeks. Over 60
million
hectares have
burned so far,
and fires keep
springing
up.
The
fires have
caused damage
to property,
claimed lives
and destroyed
much of
Australia’s
flora and
fauna. The
fires have also
had an indirect
effect on
Australia,
causing dust
storms that are
currently
wreaking havoc
across the
country.
Recently, it
has also begun
raining, which
has had the
effect of
bringing some
measure of
relief to the
country.
Unfortunately,
however, the
rains are also
causing
sediment, ash
and debris from
the dust storms
and fires to be
washed into
waterways,
creating
sediment and
erosion
problems across
affected
areas.
Global
Road Technology
is an
international
engineering
technology
company that
focuses on
providing
innovative
products and
solutions for
the mining,
civil,
agricultural,
land
development and
environmental
management
sectors. GRT
are specialists
in dust
suppression,
soil
stabilization,
erosion control
and water
management.
Their industry
leading
technology has
been proven to
drive process
efficiency,
deliver
sustainable
infrastructure,
improve
community
health and
safety, and
other
environmental
outcomes. They
recently lent
their tools and
expertise to
help with
erosion and
sediment
control
initiatives and
more during the
New Zealand
Nelson bush
fires in 2019,
and they are
available to
contribute to
the ongoing
efforts in
Australia.The
fire was so
intense that a
state of
emergency was
declared in the
Nelson-Tasman
areas as it
raged across
some 2300ha
(5700 acres)
with a 25km
radius,
says
GRT when
highlighting
the New Zealand
Nelson
bushfires.
Roughly
3,000 people
were evacuated
from the
Wakefield and
Pigeon Valley
areas on the
northern tip of
the South
Island of New
Zealand. Any
remaining root
mass in the
soil had been
destroyed, and
the soil had
become
hydrophobic, so
any significant
rain would have
caused large
scale erosion.
Rob Coulson and
his team at RST
Environmental
Solutions (NZ)
were tasked to
come up with an
erosion control
system that
would stop
sediment
getting into
the waterways
and the sea,
and GRT:
Enviro-Binder
was the product
chosen.
Global
Road Technology
has played a
critical role
in helping
alleviate the
effects of this
ecological
disaster. The
company’s
assistance has
been
instrumental in
facilitating
the recovery of
the areas
affected most
heavily by the
fires in New
Zealand. Using
GRT: Enviro
Binder, a
non-toxic and
environmentally
friendly
product RST
Environmental
Solutions and
GRT were
successful in
their efforts
to rehabilitate
the
environment.
The
learnings have
recently been
shared through
the peak
industry body,
the
International
Erosion Control
Association
(IECA)
newsletter.
Those
interested can
also check out
the case study
on GRT’s
website. GRT
wanted to
spread the news
further that it
has the
technologies,
skills and
experience
necessary to be
able to help in
the next stage
of erosion
control and
land
rehabilitation
in Australia.