NuGrow recently welcomed a group of 11 mine rehabilitation trainees from Naoero (Nauru), along with funding and training coordinators from the Pacific Community (SPC) in Fiji, to our Ipswich facility in Swanbank, Queensland. The visit was part of a mine rehabilitation capability development program run by The University of Queensland’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM), within the Sustainable Minerals Institute.
The two-week program, running from 26 October to 6 November 2026, was coordinated by Dr Corinne Unger and Dr Kathryn Sturman, building practical skills in rehabilitating land disturbed by mining.
Naoero has a long history of phosphate mining, and rebuilding soil on mined land is central to restoring it for future use.
That’s where organics come in. Rehabilitated land needs soil that can hold water, cycle nutrients and support plant growth. Compost and soil conditioners made from recycled organic material are one of the main tools for rebuilding that capacity.
Our Executive General Manager Jacob Wilson hosted the group on site with the tour covering how organic waste streams arrive and are processed, matured and quality-tested to provide a valuable rehabilitation resource. A key part of any organics processing is understanding what resources are available and providing location-based solutions.
Thank you to Dr Unger, Dr Sturman, the SPC team and the Naoero trainees for spending time with us.
