CORE works with members and stakeholders on innovative solutions to challenging soil related issues. From enhancing agricultural soils to treating complex soil contamination issues, CORE develops solutions using methods and technologies involving bio-products tailor-made for the situation.

The Blue Economy CRC was established to undertake industry focussed research and training to support the growth of the Blue Economy with a focus on two new, emerging, and transitioning ocean industries for Australia: offshore aquaculture and renewable energy production.

To create a thriving circular economy in Lake Macquarie and its close region, where waste is transformed into valuable resources, generating new employment opportunities and transitioning away from a carbon-intensive economy.

To foster innovation, collaboration, and sustainability through circular economy projects, converting waste into new materials that are economically viable.

The Circular Economy is more than a simple act of recycling. It encompasses a comprehensive approach to sustainability and growth, aiming to regenerate natural systems, maintain the longevity of products and materials, and eliminate waste and pollution through innovative design. By embracing this transformative model, we not only foster job creation and economic resilience but also stimulate innovation and drive positive change.

What does CELL do?
CELL focuses on projects that could generate new employment within Lake Macquarie by taking waste from within our LGA or close region, converting these into new or alternate materials, and assisting with transitioning away from our carbon and extractive-based economy and attracting new manufacturing/energy.
We offer strategic advice and resources to address barriers that individual organisations can’t tackle alone — an environment to test, learn and validate leading-edge ideas with the potential to transform the economy. Most importantly, it will stimulate innovation, create jobs, and enhance economic resilience.

A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.
There has been considerable concern in Australia in recent years about recycling efforts, and what happens to our products once they are recycled. This was brought into focus by China's decision to ban the import of foreign waste from January 2018
Australia exports recyclable material to over 100 countries. The three main categories of which are metals, paper and cardboard, and plastics. In 2016–17 Australia exported some 4.23 mega tonnes of recycled materials, a considerable amount of which went to China. Therefore, the decision made by China to ban the import of foreign waste has a direct impact on recycling and waste management practices in Australia.
So where do we go from here?
Towards a circular economy.
The objective of a circular economy is to maximise value at each point in a product's life. A circular economy seeks to close industrial loops and to turn outputs from one manufacturer into inputs for another and, in doing so, reduce the consumption of virgin materials and the generation of waste.
Some of the essential elements necessary for a circular economy are to:
• design and manufacture products that are made from recycled materials (rather than virgin resources), that can be repaired and/or recycled back into the system;
• establish repair centres as part of this design and manufacture process, so that items can be repaired;
• establish collection systems so that items unable to be repaired are collected, rather than disposed of in landfill;
• ensure that there is adequate and appropriate recycling facility infrastructure in place, taking into account location and sorting capacity; and
• encourage manufacturers to purchase recycled materials, thereby closing the production loop.
There are two primary business models under the circular economy - those that foster reuse and extend the life of a product through repair, remanufacture, upgrades and retrofits, and those that turn old goods at the end of their service life into as-new resources by recycling the materials they contain.

We want to reduce harm caused by fire and floods by harnessing the collective power of communities, industry, government, philanthropy and the research sector to lift Australia to be the global leader in fire and flood resilience by 2025.

We see ourselves as an enabler, facilitating dialogue, orchestrating and convening groups (people, businesses, government, philanthropy and the research sector), and relying on ground truth from active community-focused programs, to identify the most important resilience-related problems and enable the most effective solutions to be delivered faster.

As a not-for-profit, we go where the evidence takes us. Finally, we are an impact investor. We will make investments when and where they are needed to lift fire and flood resilience. We have a strong balance sheet to ensure the program is a success.

Drought hubs empower stakeholders to co-design drought preparedness activities and apply innovation to ensure a thriving future for the region. Hub members, partners and stakeholders apply proven drought-resilience research on the ground to make this happen.

The hub will improve innovation and its adoption across agriculture, industry, and the community.

The 8 hubs support farmers and communities to get ready for drought. They connect farmers with regional agricultural experts, innovation and new practices.

A Knowledge Broker is available at each hub. Their role is to translate science into practice for their region. They use their network to encourage collaboration and learning across the hubs. They also help build connections with other Future Drought Fund programs.

Whether you're a farmer, landholder, business, state government or local council, you can run a Climate Solutions Fund project. By running a project, you can earn Australian carbon credit units (carbon credits) for emissions avoidance or storage of carbon dioxide in vegetation and soil.

Each carbon credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions stored or avoided. Climate Solution Fund emission avoidance projects can earn carbon credits for up to seven years. Savanna burning projects and those that store carbon dioxide are able to earn carbon credits for up to 25 years.

Eighteen04 is an inspirational incubator and co-working space for CleanTech + SmartCity based startups in the Hunter Region.

The mission of Eighteen04 Inc. is to support early stage startups seeking to transform our energy economy, environment and build smart and sustainable cities. Smart cities is about enabling data to inform, guide and revitalise the way urban systems add to human development and includes energy, transport, health, access to markets, public services, and governance.

Our emphasis is on scalable product-based enterprises targeting global markets. Software and hardware startups are welcome as the space provides affordable office, collaboration, event and workshop facilities. Our dedicated team and resident cohort facilitates access to networks and creates a focal point for local action with strong linkages to the startup scene in Sydney and Internationally.

The year 1804 saw Newcastle founded as a key economic port and a tough northern satellite to Sydney. Back then its roots were in energy and resources and its grip on the coast made it a gateway to the global economy. Newcastle's come a long way since then.

Eighteen04 is a curated collaborative working space for technology startups in Newcastle and builds on regional strengths to launch scalable technology startups into a global market.

Green infrastructure refers to all of the vegetation that provides environmental, economic and social benefits such as clean air and water, climate regulation, food provision, erosion control and places for recreation.

It includes urban parks and reserves, wetlands and stream corridors, street trees and roadside verges, gardens and vegetable patches, bikeways and pedestrian trails, wall and rooftop gardens, orchards and farms, cemeteries and derelict land.

Coral reefs are dying all over the world, 50% of the Great Barrier reef is dead, and the remainder is under serious stress. 90% of the coral in the Caribbean is dead along with most of the fish. The fish breading grounds in Mangrove swamps are polluted by Sargassum carrying Arsenic and Heavy metals.
More than 25% of all fish and marine life depend upon coral, mangroves and wetlands as a nursery ground. More than 50% around the world are dead, in 25 years that will be 95%. This is not climate change, its pollution. We might be carbon neutral but humanity is finished without marine life, we cannot survive, or at least 90% of us will not survive.
Why do we just have 25 years before the oceans are destroyed. Oceanic pH was 8.2, during 1940's, it is now 8.03. Carbonate such as magnesium calcite and aragonite start to dissolve at pH 8.04 and in 25 years (data from IPCC) it will be 7.95 and most carbonate based marine life including coral reefs are gone. We have already passed the tipping point, in 25 years +/- 5 years we are at the end point

We need to stop pollution from all its sources in order to protect Nature and to allow Nature to regenerate.

The Mission of GOES is to stop pollution from water entering the world's Oceans, and to provide appropriate solutions.

More than 80% of the world has no wastewater treatment. In Europe, North America and other high-income countries, the wastewater is biologically treated, but there is no tertiary treatment to remove microplastics and toxic for ever chemicals. Then the sludge is dumped on farm land or landfill sites, so effectively there is no treatment, just diffuse pollution.

1. The solution is simple, regenerate Nature on Land and Marine life in the Oceans.
How do we regenerate nature?
2. Stop habitat destruction, burning trees, destructive fish, clearance of seagrass, mangroves, wetlands, marsh lands……..
3. Stop the pollution of water, soil and atmosphere with toxic for ever chemicals, especially lyophilic chemicals such as molecular plastic, PCBs, PBDE, Oxybenzone, pesticides, herbicides and 15,000 other chemicals.
4. We must prevent toxic substances entering the environment, such as plastic, and black carbon soot from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, and bunker fuel oil.
5. Carbon mitigation is important, it will not stop climate change, but it will buy us time to regenerate nature.
6. Regenerative agriculture must be practiced
How do we stop pollution?
7. 80% of the world has no municipal wastewater treatment. Install aeration ditches or extended diffused aeration system with at least 10-day residence time. These systems can be constructed by local communities and are 1/50th to 1/100th of the cost of standard water treatment, and are far superior. https://www.goesfoundation.com/news/posts/2022/april/eden-cycle-system/
8. Less than 10% of municipal wastewater treatment in high income countries is fitted with tertiary treatment to remove, plastic and toxic chemicals. This needs to be rectified. Water treatment systems should do no harm to the environment
9. The shipping industry must use clean fuel and fit scrubbers that remove the carbon, PAHS and heavy metals without dumping them into the ocean or atmosphere.
10. Stop fast fashion and toxic clothes

The One Basin CRC is a focused collaboration developing policy, technical and financial solutions to support and reduce exposure to climate, water and environmental threats in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects.

Glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, tyres, electronics, batteries, construction materials, food and garden waste are all waste items containing value in the form of energy and resources.

Healthy soil is crucial to plant health. Soil microbes have a symbiotic relationship with plants, as plants provide sugars/exudates to microbes and microbes make nutrients bio-available for plants, plants then provide nutrients to animals and plants and animals provide vital nutrients to humans. Healthy Soil - Healthy Plants - Healthy People.

Plants produce complex organic molecules like sugars that they exude from their roots to encourage the microorganism populations that comprise a healthy soil. In turn, microorganisms, by way of their complex ecology, release minerals that are already in the soil so that they are bio-available to plants. Microorganisms such as fungi with their extensive network of filaments, deliver water and nutrients from a wider area than the plant roots cover. These symbiotic relationships between microorganisms in the soil and the plants above are natural processes and will maintain themselves, provided they are not destroyed by excessive chemical or mechanical disturbance.

This natural process of productive plant/soil symbiosis can be fast tracked by inoculating the soil with the biological agents that a soil lacks, and reducing chemical fertiliser and pesticide use. Other factors which limit microbial and plant growth, such as salt, compaction, or extreme lack of available nutrients, can be overcome by the addition of appropriate biological agents and, in some cases, nutrients

Of all earth’s continents, only Antarctica gets less precipitation than Australia. Its average annual rainfall of just 470mm is also unevenly distributed. In the Northern Territory, Darwin receives around 1,700mm, while Adelaide in South Australia gets less than one-third of this—some inland towns survive on less than 200mm.

Australia’s limited and unpredictable rainfall is being exacerbated by climate change with the continent one degree warmer than a hundred years ago and receiving significantly less rain. In 2018, every state except for Tasmania and Western Australia received less than average rainfall while persistent high temperatures in Queensland contributed to record rates of evaporation.

From 1996-2010 the Millennium Drought brought long-term water restrictions to the country’s highly populated southeast and southwest. It was a catalyst for change. Driven by the twin challenges of declining water supply and growing demand, Australia has stepped up its efforts to secure its water future.

Despite the continent’s vast size, nearly the entire population lives in cities. These are predicted to grow by an additional 20 million people in the next 30 years, with water consumption in larger cities expected to rise by 73% to more than 2,650 gigalitres.

To meet this demand Australia is looking beyond its traditional rain-fed dams and reservoirs. Instead, it is turning to technology with all the mainland states investing in large desalination plants, each producing up to 674 gigalitres of additional freshwater to cushion city-dwellers against growth and drought.

However, desalination is costly and controversial, using so much energy that its water is nicknamed ‘bottled electricity’; Sydney’s plant costs A$500,000 a day to run—even standing idle. This January it was switched on for the first time since 2012 and is expected to contribute 15% of the city’s drinking water, staving off severe restrictions.

The widespread acceptance that environmental sustainability is a crucial goal of water management is arguably Australia’s most important change in water policy. A growing public awareness, together with investment in infrastructure, innovation, and conservation, has seen Australia praised for improving its water security.

Even so, this year has seen many areas suffering again. Low rainfall and high temperatures in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, mean that Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne are facing water restrictions: low inflows to Sydney’s dams have led to its desalination plant being switched on.

This could be a major test of the plans, projects, and technologies put in place to mitigate the effects of drought; the question on everyone’s lips is ‘has Australia done enough?’