03
Aerial Seeding
In the late 1990’s Global Soil Systems first trialled aerial seeding with a helicopter as a means of direct seeding on a mine site in the western coalfields of NSW with great success. Aerial seeding was a natural progression for Global Soil Systems as we continue to look for safe, economical and effective techniques for large scale direct seeding of native trees, shrubs and grasses on disturbed sites. Since then we have continued to refine our techniques and have now seeded thousands of hectares of rehabilitation on mine sites across NSW.
There are many benefits to aerial
seeding over traditional methods such as ground machinery or manually spreading
seed by hand:
- Safe – eliminates the need to put people and
machinery on steep slopes.
- Cost effective – while small areas can be aerial
seeded, real savings are achieved when seeding larger areas.
- Fast and efficient – due to the speed and
carrying capacity of a helicopter, large areas can be seeded quickly and with
ease.
- Even coverage – our helicopters use GPS tracking
systems to ensure a good, even coverage across the site.
- Access – difficult to access sites or steep and
rough terrain can easily be reached and seeded by air.
- No site disturbance – the ground is left
undisturbed minimising the chances of erosion often caused by more traditional
methods using ground machinery.
Upon undertaking an aerial project,
Global Soil Systems will work with the client to develop a detailed project
plan and will provide all the necessary safety documentation and insurances to
ensure the safe and smooth operation of the project.
Global Soil Systems engages a fully
accredited, CASA approved and licenced operator to facilitate our aerial
seeding operations. With robust safety procedures and systems in place, as well
as a comprehensive risk management framework, we ensure that the safety of
personnel is first and foremost in any operation.
Our experienced pilots and ground
crew specialise in agricultural work including seeding, fertilizing, herbiciding
and dust suppression. All personnel have the relevant training, qualifications
and experience to successfully complete a range of projects on mine sites and
have extensive experience working within the relevant safety guidelines of many
of the large mining companies operating across Australia.
Not only do we offer direct seeding
of native vegetation across rehabilitation areas by air, we can also complete a
range of projects including:
- Fertilizing – application of fertilizer over
rehabilitation and pasture areas.
- Dust suppression – utilizing pasture grasses or
polymer compounds on tailings dams and overburden stockpiles.
- Pasture development – seeding of large pasture
areas suitable for grazing.
- Herbiciding – targeted herbiciding in sensitive
areas or broad acre weed spraying.
