The beautiful natural environment the Gold Coast enjoys is motivating businesses to come up with global solutions to protect it.
Globally renowned as Australia’s tourism capital, the Gold Coast is famous for its environment. The city’s pristine, golden beaches are flanked by the ‘green behind the gold’, home to World Heritage-listed rainforests.
There’s no doubt the environment is a crucial ingredient of the Gold Coast tourism economy. But what most people are not aware is how caring for the environment is becoming big business as Gold Coast headquartered businesses focussed on environmental solutions and sustainable practices grow markets all around the world.
From bio-fuel energy generators and sustainable clothing manufacturers to erosion management professionals and solar energy exports, the Gold Coast is becoming a hub for experts in their fields.
Arguably Australia’s most biodiverse city, almost 50 per cent of land area is covered in native vegetation, supporting 1800 recorded species of plants and more than 700 native animal species. Ten per cent of land is managed by City of Gold Coast for conservation.
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The global biogas market generates electricity worth approximately $71.6 billion per annum
The growing eco-business trend is being recognised through the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards, the region’s premier business honours, and the quality of the enterprises taking part in the awards is staggering.
The 2014 annual winner of the Gold Coast City Council sponsored Environment and Sustainability Award was emerging energy company Quantum Power – a company that has designed and built more biogas-fuelled power stations in Australia than any other. Quantum Power is Australia’s leading developer of anaerobic digestion systems and biogas-fuelled power stations. Effectively, the company is turning “shit” into gold. The company’s existing clients include piggeries, abattoirs, rendering plants and dairy factories.
Quantum Power is headed up by managing director Richard Brimblecomb, who also serves as chief executive of specialised livestock financier Stock Co and is on the board of Australia’s Grants and Research Council. Mr Brimblecomb says Quantum Power has the company is now building its 13th power station and in negotiations to build several more.
“Biogas is one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy in the world,” Mr Brimblecombe says.
Anaerobic digestion is widely used in Australia as a primary waste treatment tool. Most sites use an uncovered anaerobic lagoon, which allows treatment of the waste, and the biogas produced escapes into the atmosphere. Quantum Power’s solution retains all of the waste treatment benefits and also harnesses the potential of the biogas for use as a source of energy.
“We go into a customer’s production facility and build a power station fuelled by their waste to provide onsite generation of base-load renewable energy from organic wastes and residues,’’ says Mr Brimblecombe.
“These power stations supply between 40 per cent and 150 per cent of the energy needs of the host site by processing the waste. In addition to the generation of renewable energy, the biogas system removes up to 90 per cent of harmful pollutants from the wet waste stream of the host client.”
The solutions have reduced client’s reliance on grid electricity by 100 per cent. The company’s focus is on the intensive livestock and food processing industries within Australia but it is also casting its eyes oversees to New Zealand and South Africa – markets with a value of $463 million per annum. Quantum Power also has a construction joint venture with a US-based partner RCM International LLC (RCM). RCM has delivered more biogas projects in the US than any other company.
Quantum Power biogas system
Quantum Power biogas system
Trac Goup Holdings has developed a roof tile that also produce electricity and hot water
Tractile roof tile
Another Gold Coast company in the eco-power game and attracting international attention is Trac Group Holdings, which has developed a new form of roofing tiles. The Tractile Solar Roof Tile, which transforms the humble concrete roof tile into a technical package that generates both solar power and solar hot water for buildings
The Southport-based business, which was a finalist in the 2006 Australian Design Awards, is led by managing director Jason Perkins and is planning on listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in late 2015.
“The technology behind the building integrated photo voltaic–thermal (BIPV-T) roof tiles is now patented in 28 countries and is now set to launch in international markets,’’ says Mr Perkins.
“Internationally, the interest in the BIPV market is growing stronger every day because of the environmental and financial benefits the products provide.
“We have developed a world-beating technology product and we are now working to secure relationships with distribution partners throughout the world.”
Trac Group has spent $3 million over the past eight years researching, developing, testing and marketing its range of products. The company manufactures and distributes in Australia and Malaysia and the company has immediate plans to expand into the Middle East, South-East Asia, North America, China, and Europe.
Mr Perkins said a key to the innovative product’s success is it’s low profile design which makes the tiles look very much like a modern roof tile and not detract from the design of the house
“Our research shows that one of the major reasons why Australians are not installing solar panels is because they are ugly,” says Mr Perkins.
Another key advantage the product has is that is does not have a direct competitor.
“Because we have gained the international patents over the technology, the nearest competition we have will be people selling separate packages of roof mounted solar power cells and roof mounted solar hot water systems,’’ says Mr Perkins
“Because our’s is a three-in-one product, it delivers a look and value for money that other competitors can’t match.”
All clothes are 100% recyclable and PFC free
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Another Gold Coast company with big environmental credentials and making a global impact is clothing company Purebrandz – a world leading outdoor clothing company selling 100 per cent recyclable clothing for the skiing, snow and mountaineering markets. While you wouldn’t normally associate the sub-tropical climate of the Gold Coast with snow and skiing, it is the place Purebrandz calls home.
From its Molendinar base it designs and distributes a high-end, waterproof, breathable range of jackets and pants made from recycled products. Their clothes are 100% recyclable, PFC free and Bluesign certified.
In an innovative twist, the company last year announced it had become the first company in the world to offer a “trade-in” on its PURE garments.
Customers who are looking to upgrade their current wardrobe are able to trade-in their old outfits. Purebrandz then take these older outfits and offers it to charities and other non-government organisations so they can continue to be put to good use. Purebrandz has been contracted by Thredbo, Australia premier Alpine Resort to provide them with their Snow Sports Uniform. Purebrandz also supplies resort uniforms to Mount Buller, Perisher, and Mount Ruapehu (New Zealand) ski resorts.
International experts are so impressed that Purebrandz was the first Australian brand to be invited to the Aspen International Fashion Week.
Purebrandz 100% recycled clothing
urebrandz is making a name for itself with its environmentally friendly and fashionable outdoor clothing
Green Fingers Potting Mix has won national Nursery Association awards for the past three years
Mark Rigby and Associates
Another Gold Coast company that has big ambitions is potting mix and landscape materials company Green Fingers.
Group Operations and Sales Manager Dan Willmann says Green Fingers takes in green waste, bark, top soil and sand from development sites around the Gold Coast.
“We then work with these by-products by composting and screening/grading to produce the best growing media our country has to offer,’’ says Mr Willmann.
The company holds environmental accreditation with a number of international standards organisations for many of its products and has plans to double the size of its production facility this year and they developing an online shop selling landscape materials at wholesale prices.
The year 2014 was a big year for the growing company with Green Fingers cleaning up at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards and collecting national honours in the Garden and Nursery Industry of Australia awards for the third year in a row.
There’s also plenty of professional advice and expertise for companies wanting to set up in the Gold Coast region and operate with environmental efficiency. Another winner of a monthly Gold Coast Business Excellence award in 2014 was Mark Rigby & Associates – a proud Gold Coast firm, established in 1998 to provide professional environmental protection and environmental health services to the private and public sectors.
The company specialises in three areas: Environmental Management, Environmental Quality and Environmental Planning
Founder Mark Rigby says the effective and efficient management of environmental issues is now recognised as good business practice for both private and public sector organisations.
“We pride ourselves on being a small firm with the ability to achieve great outcomes,’’ says Mr Rigby. “A significant part of our competitive advantage is that we offer a ‘one stop shop’ for clients who are commencing new, or expanding existing, industrial activities in Queensland.
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