Science Centre Nemo — Amsterdam

167 Pages·2011·21.07 MB·Dutch

SUPPO SERVICES OFFICE
2 6 Ninv
2008
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
Parliamentary Study Tour
r
9 - 24 August 2008
STUDY TOUR REPORT
LODGE
(9'SPEAKE
HOUSE OE ASSEMBLY
Dr Duncan McFetridge MP
Member for Morphett
Shadow Minister for Transport
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations
Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs & Reconciliation
Shadow Minister for Science & Information Economy
The purpose of the tour was to investigate issues and opportunities
associated with my shadow portfolios of transport and science &
information economy, as well as issues affecting my electorate of
Morphett.
Places visited included Singapore; London; the Netherlands; USA
CONTENTS
Singapore Water (cid:9) 1
National University of Singapore(cid:9) 7
Aquatics Science Centre – Pandan (cid:9) 8
South Australian Government, Singapore Office (cid:9) 13
Singapore Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority (cid:9) 14
SA Agent-General in London (cid:9) 30
Royal Institution of Great Britain (cid:9) 31
City Cargo – Amsterdam, Holland (cid:9) 32
Ministry of Transport, Public Works & Water Management – The Hague (cid:9) 34
Deltares – Delft(cid:9) 35
Science Centre Nemo – Amsterdam (cid:9) 36
Public Transport – Portland, Oregon, USA (cid:9) 46
Oregon Iron Works and United Streetcar(cid:9) 59
Appendix A – Powerpoint presentation – Singapore Public Utilities Board
Appendix B – Powerpoint presentations – Singapore Land Transport Authority
Appendix C – Overview and press releases – City Cargo, Amsterdam
Appendix D – "Busways or LRT? – Why Portland chose Light Rail'
by Gerald Fox PE. Portland, Oregon
1
Singapore Water
Meetings with:
Associate Professor Sanjay Swarup, National University of Singapore,
Dept of Biological Sciences
Mr Harry Seah of Singapore Public Unitilities Board (PUB)
Visited the Singapore NewWater visitor centre - a showcase of
Singapore's strategies on water management and met with PUB
representatives Mr Moh Wung Hee and Mr Bernard Koh
Background
In late and early met with a number of researchers at Adelaide's
2007 2008, I
Flinders University who are researching new technologies in renewable fuels
and water recycling. Through my enquiries I met with Dr Stephen Clarke who is
one of the main researchers into cleaning up of stormwater on large scales.
This research, using Flinders University developed sol-gel technology, is now
being incorporated into a joint research program in Singapore.
Sol-gel technology is a large capacity modular filtration system. The technology
at Flinders has developed to allow for high volumes of water to be filtered while
not impeding the flow in canals. The new system overcomes many of the older
problems of disrupting waterways with gravels and sand filters and easily
installed and serviceable. The object of this report is not to give detail on sol-
gel, however, I would recommend that any reader should contact Flinders
University and obtain briefings on this exciting technology.
The particular part of this whole project that I found exciting was the fact that the
technology allows high volumes of water to flow in canals, avoiding risks of flash
flooding but, more particularly, allows the tops of the canals to be landscaped
as parks and green corridors. My initial reaction when being told about this
technology and having seen concept slides of the before and after of canals
was very exciting for me as through my electorate of Morphett we have the Sturt
Creek which is a concrete lined drain carrying water from the upper reaches of
the Sturt Creek.
The Sturt River (also known as the Sturt Creek) is a significant urban waterway
and one of the Patawalonga Basin's most important tributaries. It begins in
Upper Sturt in the Adelaide Hills and flows through Coromandel Valley, the Sturt
Gorge Recreation Park, Marion and Morphettville, before meeting the
Patawalonga in Glenelg North. The Sturt River catchment extends over
km2, from Heathfield in the Mount Lofty Ranges, to Glenelg North.
120
In flood mitigation works were carried out to prevent damage to properties
1879,
in Glenelg, and to the Morphettville Racecourse. A trapezoidal concrete
channel was later constructed to line the river from Sturt Road to the
Patawalonga Basin (Tapleys Hill Road); this was completed in and large
1971
trash racks have since been installed to prevent debris being washed
downstream.
2
Most of the time this creek / canal carries very little water, however, at times,
particularly during heavy winter rains and summer thunder storms, there can be
large volumes of water flowing down here so obstructing or restricting the flow
of this drain in any way could result in disastrous local flooding. The 1960s
style concrete-lined channel is, in my opinion, a complete eyesore and I saw the
opportunity to look at ways to completely rehabilitate the channel with
landscaping and returning it to a more natural condition for the enjoyment of not
only the electors of Morphett but also the general populous of South Australia,
while at the same time retaining it as a significant water course with its potential
of having to handle large volumes of water.
If the technology is as I expect it to be able to be delivered in a financially
responsible way, well then not only could the Sturt Creek be also rehabilitated
but the other many concrete lined waterways in the metropolitan area could also
be treated similarly, something that would be a huge improvement for the urban
environment in many, many ways.
As Dr Clarke explained, the sol-gel research part of the project will be carried
out in Australia using ARC funding. United Water are also an industry partner
on this project and will do some minor engineering testing in South Australia by
using the industry cash contribution. The other half of the project involves major
stormwater engineering works to be carried out by the Singapore Delft Water
Alliance (SDWA) based at National University of Singapore (NUS).
Flinders University is part of the Singapore Delft Water Alliance Research
program involving the National University of Singapore, Delft Hydraulics, the
Public Utilities Board of Singapore and Flinders University.
SDWA is funded by Deltares, previously Delft Hydraulics, out of Holland and
they are providing the industry cash contribution for the Singapore Engineering
Works through SDWA.
Since my visit, I have been notified that this particular project is advancing well
and in fact is in the running for the Lee Kuan Yew water prize 2009 – a very
exciting position to be in for, not only those at Flinders, but all the other partners
involved.
Formalisation of this project was put in place by the signing of a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) during Singapore International Water Week earlier this
year. Water Security Minister, Karlene Maywald, was one of several signatories
at the signing of the MoU in Singapore on 24 June 2008. In Minister Maywald's
press release of that date it states,
"The quality of South Australian research into water-related science and
technology has been recognised with the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding between Flinders University and a highly sought-after
international consortium in Singapore."
"This MoU expands upon a $1.148 million collaborative water-purification
Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage research project to take place
at Flinders University," Ms Maywald said. "It signifies the intention to take
Flinders University's research to commercialisation and global markets."
3
Other signatories to the MoU included Professor Michael Barber, Vice-
Chancellor and CEO of Flinders University; Mr Jan Groen, one of the Board of
Directors of Deltares, Holland; Professor Barry Halliwell from the National
University of Singapore; Mr Harry Seah, Director for Technology and Water
Quality of the Singapore PUB; and Dr Stephanie Rinck-Pfeiffer, R & D Manager,
United Water International.
Professor Barber, the Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University, in his press
release in June said that
`the practical applications of the new technology flowing from this project
will ultimately be transferred to Adelaide and the rest of Australia under the
Memorandum of Understanding".
He went on to say,
`the project will install and trial a state-of-the-art filtration system in a major
canal in Singapore down which millions of litres of tropical rainfall currently
flow from dense urban areas to reservoirs and the sea, carrying with it
undesirable impurities. The highly porous, large capacity, modular filter
system being developed by Flinders University will purify the stormwater
and have major cost and efficiency advantages over conventional gravel
and sand based systems. Importantly, as part of the SDWA program, it
will enable these large and often unsightly canals to be terra-formed for
aesthetic and recreational purposes, and yet remain flood-preventative."
As can be seen from Professor Barber's press release, this was the main
purpose of my visit, to see where the project was progressing so that we could
then look at its application back here in South Australia, particularly, in my case,
in my electorate of Morphett along the Sturt Creek.
The reason Singapore has entered into this partnership with Flinders University
and Deltares Water, as well as others, is because Singapore is an island city-
state. Singapore has an area of about 700 km2 and a population of
approximately 4.4 million people with an annual growth rate of nearly 2%.
One of the main concerns of the government has been how to provide clean
water to the population which currently consumes about 1.36 billion litres of
water per day.
Singapore is considered to be a water scarce country, not because of lack of
rainfall where they have over 2.4 metres (2,400 millimetres) per year but
because of the limited amount of land area where rainfall can be stored.
Singapore imports its entitlement of water from the neighbouring Johor state of
Malaysia, under a long term agreement since 1961. Under the agreement
Singapore can transfer water from Johor for the price of less than one cent per
1,000 gallons until the Year 2061. The water from Johor is imported through
three large pipelines across the 2km causeway that separates the two
countries.
4
While the long term guarantee of water appears to be in place, the security of
water is an important consideration for Singapore and the agreement with
Malaysia has been reached under the United Nations charter, secretariat office,
since June 1966.
The two countries have been negotiating the possible extension of the water
agreement; the results thus far have not been encouraging since the two
countries are still far apart in terms of their national requirements. Singapore
would like to ensure its long term water security by having a treaty that will
provide it with the stipulated quantity of water well beyond the year 2061.
In contrast, the main Malaysian demand has been for a much higher price of
water, which has varied from 15 to 20 times the current price. While Singapore
has said that it has no problem paying a high price for the water it imports from
Johor, its main concern has been how the price revision will be decided and not
the concept of a higher price per se.
Because of this continuing stalemate, Singapore has developed a new plan for
increasing water security and self-sufficiency during the post 2011 period, with
increasingly more efficient water management, including the formulation and
implementation of new water-related policies, heavy investments in desalination
and extensive reuse of wastewater and catchment management and other
similar actions.
Recycling Waste Water
The Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB) currently manages the entire water
cycle of Singapore. The PUB was initially responsible for managing potable
water, electricity and gas. On 1 April 2001 the responsibilities for sewerage and
drainage were transferred to PUB from the Ministry of the Environment. This
transfer allowed PUB to develop and implement a holistic policy, which included
protection and expansion of water sources, stormwater management,
desalination, demand management, community-driven programs, catchment
management, outsourcing to private sector specific activities which are not core
to its mission, and public education and awareness programs. The country is
now fully sewered to collect all wastewater and has constructed separate
drainage and sewerage systems to facilitate wastewater reuse on an extensive
scale.
Faced with the strategic issue of water security, Singapore considered the
possibility of recycling wastewater (or used water) as early as the 1970s. It
opted for proper treatment of its effluents, instead of discharging them to the
sea. However, the first experimental recycling plant was closed in 1975
because it proved to be uneconomical and unreliable: the technology was
simply not available three decades ago to make such a plant practical.
In 1998, PUB and the Ministry of the Environment formulated a reclamation
study. The prototype plant, located on a site downstream of the Bedok Water
Reclamation Plant, started function in May 2000, and produced 10,000 m 3 of
water per day. The reclaimed water from this plant was monitored regularly
over a period of two years, when an expert panel gave it a clean bill of health in
terms of quality and reliability.
5
The quality of water produced by the Bedok Water Reclamation Plant was
found not only to be better than the water supplied by PUB but also met the
water quality standards of the Environmental Protection Agency of the United
States and the World Health Organisation.
The water supply is also being increased through the collection treatment and
reuse of wastewater. Investments in 2003 were in the order of $116 Singapore
dollars. During the period 2002-04 the amount of wastewater that was treated
has increased from 1.315 Mm3 to 1.37 Mm3 per day.
After this successful demonstration, PUB decided to collect, treat and reuse
wastewater on an extensive scale, a step that very few countries have taken.
At present, with 100% sewer connection, all wastewater is collected and
treated. Wastewater is reclaimed after secondary treatment by means of
advanced dual-membrane and ultraviolet technologies. NEWater, as it is
called, is used for industrial and commercial purposes, even though quality wise
it is safe to drink. Since its purity is higher than tap water, it is ideal for certain
types of industrial manufacturing processes, like semiconductors which require
ultra-pure water. It is economical for such plants to use NEWater since no
additional treatment is necessary to improve water quality. With more industries
using NEWater, water saved is being used for domestic purposes.
A small amount of NEWater (2 million gallons per day (mgd) in 2002 and 5 mgd
in 2005, or about 1% of the daily consumption of the country) is blended with
raw water in the reservoirs, which is then treated for domestic use. It is
expected that, by 2011, Singapore will produce 65 mgd of NEWater annually,
10 mgd (2.5% of water consumption) for indirect domestic use, and 55 mgd for
industrial and commercial use.
There are currently three plants producing NEWater at Seletar, Bedok and
Kranji. These plants have a total capacity of 20 mgd and will provide water to
the north-eastern, eastern and northern parts of Singapore, respectively. The
distribution network for NEWater includes 100 km of pipelines. PUB has
recently awarded another PPP project to construct the country's largest
NEWater factory at Ulu Pandan, with a capacity of 25 mgd. This plant will
supply water to the western part and central business district of Singapore.
Once this plant is operational, the overall production of NEWater will represent
more than 10% of the total water demand per day. The overall acceptance of
this recycled ultra-pure water has been high. By 2011, NEWater is expected to
meet 15% of Singapore's water needs.1
Tortajada, Cecelia June 2006 'International Journal of Water Resources Development: Water
Management in Singapore' Reprinted from Volume 22, Number 2, Third World Centre for Water
Management, Mexico. pp. 227-230.
Singapore: the recently completed marina reservoir, creating a
freshwater reservoir from the mouth of the Singapore River.
i
7
National University of Singapore
Professor Barry Halliwell, National University of Singapore (NUS)
Professor Halliwell was one of the signatories to the MoU that was signed
between the National University of Singapore, Flinders University, United
Water, the Singapore Delft Water Alliance, the Public Utilities Board of
Singapore and Deltares of The Netherlands.
My meeting with Professor Halliwell was to get an overview of the part that the
National University of Singapore was playing in this project and also to get an
overview of the University.
Professor Halliwell is in charge of the Office of the Deputy President, Research
and Technology and oversees many of the research projects at the National
University of Singapore.
The National University of Singapore was founded as a medical school in 1905
and now has an enrolment of over 24,000 undergraduates and 7,000 graduate
students from over 100 countries. The university has 14 faculties that offer a
broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-discliplinary courses and cross-
faculty enrichment.
The university is spread over three campuses. I visited the 150 hectare Kent
Ridge campus which houses 12 faculties ranging from medicine to architecture
to music. The university has over 2,000 faculty members and nearly 2,000
research staff.
Professor Halliwell's role in the National University is to promote the university's
research agenda. He is involved in planning and establishing research
institutes, centres and programs as well as formulating policies and agreements
relating to intellectual property rights. Professor Halliwell is an internationally
acclaimed biochemist and is especially known for his work in the role of free
radicals and antioxidants in biological systems.
Professor Halliwell and I discussed some of the opportunities for further
collaboration between South Australian universities and the National University
of Singapore and the example of the Flinders University involvement in the
clean water project is just one example of what could occur if we built on these
relationships.
r
Aquatics Science Centre — Pandan
As part of the visit to
Singapore, I visited
the aquatic science
centre at Pandan.
This is part of the
National University of
Singapore's research
facility and, while the
on-canal section has
yet to be built, people
were allowed to visit
and appreciate the
research that is being
done into recycling
and reuse of water in
Singapore.
I was shown photographs and mock-ups of the facility, something that appears
to be quite an exciting innovation to encourage support of the people of
Singapore. In fact, Professor Sanjay Swarup of the National University of
Singapore was one of the principal researchers to provide people with
information on the actual aims for setting up the ASC, which were:
• to understand the fundamental processes so as to adopt intelligent and
sustainable strategies involved in controlling and filtering and reusing
water;
• to help reconnect people with water so that they can better appreciate
this precious commodity in Singapore;
• to perform educational and training activities in urban water research
themes based on interdisciplinary approaches; and
• to utilise the knowledge generated from the research at the ASC that will
assist the PUB to transform utilitarian infrastructural assets such as
drains, canals and reservoirs into beautiful clean streams, rivers and
lakes.
This last aim is one that I hope will not only involve the canals of Singapore but
also the canals of my electorate of Morphett, namely the Sturt Creek.
Some of the research and development that is being carried out at the ASC
includes:
• understanding the basic mechanisms of improving water quality using
low energy methods such as bioremediation by plants and other
organisms;
• integrating this knowledge with the flooding risk potential of methods
adopted;
• understanding the role of water flow delays in urban streams in relation
to the low energy methods developed to mitigate them; and
• integrating low energy and quality improvement of this with architectural
features.