The Sunrise at 1770 community near Agnes Water is secluded enough - nestled in bushland, accessible via electronic gates and home to those wealthy enough to wish to understate their riches.

But there's an even more secluded part of the national-award-winning sustainable development which is vital to the whole community and operated by 4 CQU students.

Checking one of the tanks at the wastewater plant

It's the wastewater plant, which treats the Sunrise household wastes to a standard able to be recycled for a nursery, carwash and firefighting purposes, meaning the community can run as a closed system using only local groundwater supplies.

PhD student Ben Kele is the linchpin of the wastewater operation. His vast experience in wastewater was called on when the Sunrise plant needed retro-fitting and upgrades.

The plant now runs smoothly through its multi-stage system, as the wastewater is aerated, agitated, sonic-blasted, filtered, sieved, treated and stored.

Ben describes the sonic-blast process - which breaks down the cell walls of viruses and other nasties - as akin to being in front of the speaker stack at a Metallica concert.

But then Ben is renowned for his unusual take on life in general - he has a commercial operation selling T-shirts with joke slogans on the theme of ‘poo'.

He's also very respected in the wastewater industry and has his owned patented wastewater systems being installed around Australia.

A great working environment

One of Ben's student recruits is Frenchman Thomas Aubron, a qualified agricultural engineer who originally came to the region to study water management and creek flows at Byfield's Water Park Creek.

Thomas has been lured back from his homeland especially to help operate the Sunrise plant and to carry out consultancy work for some of Ben's other commercial wastewater consultancy projects.

Another recruit is final-year Biomedical Sciences student Jordanna ‘Jordi' Bembridge, a former gymnast who makes the most of the ideal surfing conditions at the beach near Sunrise in between operating the wastewater plant.

Jordi also enjoys meeting some of the wildlife, including a friendly goanna who follow her around the plant.

Meanwhile, Co-op Engineering student Ross Percival manages to get enough time away from his work placement with Rockhampton Regional Council to be included on the roster of helpers.

Life's a beach ... surfing is an option after wastewater duties

"I like working there because it combines the fields of environmental science, engineering and development and is right at the cutting edge," Ross says.

In each case, the students are gaining additional experiences to add to their CVs - a benefit enhanced recently when Ben took them to an on-site wastewater seminar and demonstration at Maslin Beach in South Australia.

The students work alongside plant nursery staff who are employed by the body corporate, not only to conserve the natural bushland but also to increase the proportion of species native to the local area.

Sunrise at 1770 land and environment manager Peter Bankoff is heading back to his home base at Byron Bay soon but has enjoyed helping to establish the development over the past 3 years, after originally coming up on holiday. It's been a bit of a change from other positions he has held in New South Wales, including at Sydney Botantic Gardens.

"Byron was getting a bit too suburban so I came up here for less suburbia and now here has become not surban enough," he said.

Managing to cope ... Greg Millar

The students also keep in touch with development manager Greg Millar who traded in a career crewing luxury motor cruisers to look after the luxury Sunrise residential operation.

"I sailed around the world seeing all the exotic destinations most people want to go to ... I was looking for a true paradise that had everything to offer and Agnes Water and 1770 are second to none.

"I moved here 11 years ago initially as a resident. It was always a bit of a passion to be part of a work-oriented commune and I knew the developers who offered me the job and from there I ended up managing the place."

Greg also helps with sales of houses and land and is quick to point to prime blocks which he can "sell you today if you have the cash".

He's in regular contact with the growing band of residents who enjoy bushland seclusion, pristine beaches, horizon-view pools and community barbecue facilities with extensive kitchen facilities.

Surrounded on all sides by nature conservation reserves, Sunrise at 1770 promotes itself as Australia's leading environmentally sustainable coastal community.

Ben Kele with the sonic blaster

Its commitment to maintaining Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) principals ensure the residential facilities remain almost totally self dependent.

Sunrise was voted the Best Sustainable Development in Australia (2008) by the Urban Development Institute of Australia. More details are at: http://www.sunriseat1770.com.au/   

Part of the plant nursery which benefits from the wastewater
Frenchman Thomas Aubron
BioMed student Jordi Bembridge
Ross Percival
Ben Kele in his element