Rural Solutions SA consultants have risen to the challenge of helping maintain the balance for a healthy environment and regional businesses

Working with the South Australian Strategic Plan’s aim to reduce the State’s ecological footprint within 10 years, it runs holistic programs to preserve the environment within profitable agribusiness activities.

Education is a key part of this – helping convert scientific thinking into mainstream culture for producers and communities. This is supported by a growing list of Greenhouse and climate change services – helping growers and communities adapt, survive and grow in the face of such environmental changes.

Rural Solutions SA’s team takes seriously its responsibility for environmental stewardship, taking its broad range of scientific and business skills to the community. Our consultants with their regional networks, knowledge and industry experience provide a highly trained consultancy group, with the capabilities to weave environmental and industry development outcomes.

Planning for sustainable landscape management include consultancy services in water use efficiency, reclaimed water, native vegetation issues and soils management.

Local consultants working with their communities is a great advantage. Climate change and impacts on regional communities requires an understanding from a holistic business group.

We also run QA Solutions™ workshops and “on-property” sessions using a risk management approach on issues such as water, OH&S, chemical use, waste management, energy use and biodiversity.

By applying these principles, rural businesses can not only meet environmental targets but providing evidence in environmental reporting, essential for today's market needs.

It also engages with the seafood industry to promote QA and sustainable fishing practices.

Such activities fulfill its charter of expert advice effectively applied – to achieve profits and environmental protection.

Rural Solutions SA was a finalist for the national Rabobank Agribusiness Awards for Excellence in the Environmental & Energy Management category and won a commendation for its submission into the Rural Enterprise Award category.

Serendipity Vineyards, Adelaide Hills

A tailored practical environmental plan using REMS™, a holistic process (Review, Establish, Monitor and Service), delivered improved productivity and product quality while maintaining the vitality of the vineyard.

This included establishing buffer zones to minimize chemical spray drift, maintaining native animal habitats while improving grape quality, improve water quality and reduce overall vineyard impacts on the environment.

Contact: Wayne Brown

South East Dairy Effluent Project

This waste management education and technical services programme focused on milking shed effluent. At field days and via fact sheets/CD and site visits, farmers were briefed on new guidelines resulting from a global review of best practice.

A dairy development guide has also evolved from this programme – proving valuable for both new entrants into the industry and for those undertaking major remedial actions such as adding ponds, solids separation systems and feed pads.

Air quality in transport corridors

An environmental consultancy to the Department of Transport Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) is helping reduce carbon emissions in high traffic areas.

Rural Solutions SA is advising on the selection and placement of trees (which act as carbon ‘sponges’) along transport corridors.

Setting an objective to plant 650,000 trees for offsetting emissions of the DTEI fleet of buses, trains and trams, the programme includes technical management of contractors and a public awareness campaign.

Contact: Wayne Brown.