Trial to eradicate goldrush pollutants

RMIT University, the City of Greater Bendigo and the Environment Protection Authority Victoria have announced a new partnership to undertake a field trial to test whether planting Australian native tussock grass can help deal with pollutants left behind from the goldrush.

The trial will be monitored by RMIT’s Julie Besedin, who is undertaking a PhD in phytoremediation, specialising in plants indigenous to the Bendigo region.

Ms Besedin said the phytoremediation trial is environmentally friendly and will involve planting common Australian native tussock grass within a defined area at Albert Roy Reserve in Eaglehawk.

“There are only a limited number of remedial options for removing arsenic and other pollutants with the most obvious being to excavate and dispose of affected soil in landfill,” she said.

“However, this is expensive and is merely relocating, rather than solving the problem.

“Once planted and fertilised using organic fertilisers, the tussock grass will uptake pollutants into the body of the plant to clean the soil.

“Once planted the site will be monitored and tested as the trial progresses.”

City of Greater Bendigo property manager Daniella McClure said land, both public and privately owned in the local government area, is often found to have remnant contamination from arsenic resulting from historic mining operations.

“Mine tailings that contain arsenic are spread over large areas of land, including land now used for housing and public facilities,” she said.

“Phytoremediation is an alternative way of dealing with arsenic contaminated soils and the City is excited to learn the results of this trial.”