Economic Perspective 24 July 2026
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Latest Trending Economic News Curated for You by Balmoral Group Australia
Hello Dear Readers,
This week we're taking a look at real-time monitoring tools for agriculture and water, and new infrastructural investments in the mining industry. Modelling from the University of Sydney has updated our understanding of plant root water and fertiliser needs, resulting in a paddock-level decision making tool based on real-time data. Continuous and real-time sensors are also being implemented by SA Water to improve discharge risk management for liquid trade waste.
Mining companies are investing in infrastructure for energy and water security, with Rio Tinto utilising bio-pellets to replace coal at a Gladstone refinery, and a Pilbara operation installing new water storage infrastructure for drought and fire risk. I've also attached a figure from DCCEEW showing Australia's waste stream categories, reflecting circular economy opportunities in wasted organics and building materials.
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Happy reading and have a lovely weekend!
Soil water in real time: tool to sharpen yield and nitrogen decisions
New modelling is being developed to provide near real-time assessment of plant-available water (PAW), aiming to improve decision-making for fertiliser top-ups. The University of Sydney research team have focused the model, dubbed the Soil Water-Energy balance (SWEB) model, on water entering soil storage capacity in plant root zones, using satellite imagery, weather data and soil information as inputs. The SWEB model produces paddock-level estimates of PAW down to a 30m resolution. Read more here.
What trade waste monitoring reveals between audits
Liquid trade waste is non-residential discharge from water usage in industry, commercial services, or manufacturing. Traditionally, trade waste monitoring included periodic checks and sampling, however, scheduled one-time sampling may fail to spot discharge risks due to the changing nature of trade waste, which can change with production cycles, cleaning processes and equipment faults. Continuous trade waste monitoring through real-time multi-sensors capturing flow rates, water quality, and system health data can improve wastewater asset protection, and SA Water Water has been updating their systems with Kallipr infrastructure, turning continuous trade waste monitoring into an operational tool. Read more here.
$30m biochar facility proposed in central Queensland, with Rio Tinto a major buyer
Rio Tinto, one of Australia's largest miners, has signed a five-year agreement to source bio pellets from the company SuperChar as an exploration into reducing coal use at the Gladstone refineries. The bio pellets are made from bana grass, and the 35,000 tonnes per year that will be burnt at the Gladstone facility will reduce carbon emissions by 90,000 tonnes yearly, according to Rio Tinto. SuperChar also plans to expand their operations, having submitted a development application for a $30 million biochar facility in central Queensland, which is waiting on local government approval. Read more here.
Industrial water storage solution delivered for WA mining operations
Increasingly severe droughts and bush fire seasons necessitate increasingly resilient water storage infrastructure across mining, energy and industry. A major mining project near Newman in the Pilbara region (WA) has installed four industrial water storage tanks to support site operations, providing 800kL of raw water storage and 346kL of fire water capacity. Pilbara infrastructure must meet stringent operational and safety requirements while withstanding harsh environmental conditions, and the project reflects ongoing demand for water storage systems that underpin drought-resistance operations. Read more here. Photo Credit: Kingspan Water & Energy
Waste generated (tonnes) by waste category, Australia 2022-23
The figure below from DCCEEW demonstrates the large volumes of building materials and organics going towards waste, which could otherwise act as feedstocks for industry, such as organic bio-pellets used for thermal energy production or utilising discarded tyre rubber to manufacture urea fertiliser.
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