isca@admin - ISCouncil
Close

Author: isca@admin

Evolving in the season of change

Posted on by isca@admin

Seasons change and so do we. The transition to the Infrastructure Sustainability Council acknowledges our vision and is deeply aligned with our purpose. The impact we enable was central to shaping our new identity. We recognise that we operate in countries other than Australia. We want to honour progress and amplify our ability to accelerate change through collaboration. This means respectfully acknowledging the continued commitment and contributions from our member whānau and stakeholders in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Every season is borne from the ones prior.

This season’s visual shift is bolder and brighter, but intentionally, still recognisable and relatable from our past. Our brand remains anchored in a circle, now with four clear arrows, and all these are symbolic. The circle represents what we do, how we do it and why we do it – because better never stops. It signifies that it’s never too late to start, nor does it matter where you start, only that you get started. It encourages inclusivity, circularity, and resilience.

  • What we do ……. Promote continuous improvement, capability building and innovation
  • How we do it …… Connect and collaborate inclusively
  • Why we do it …… A positive future for people, planet and the economy

The four arrows represent the opportunities associated with infrastructure:

  • the quadruple bottom line: governance, economic, environment and social
  • the lifecycle of infrastructure: from planning, design, construction into operations
  • the types of infrastructure: transport, utility, blue/green and social
  • the whole-of-life benefits delivered: cultural, social, environmental, and economic

The IS Council is transitioning from one season to our next. For our industry and nations, now too is the season of change. A succession brought about by external factors and multiple levers of change. Never has there been this level of collective awareness, appetite, and capacity for positive change; this is our decade of opportunity. There is a shift occurring that raises up the importance of legacy and long-term investment; a recognition of the interconnection between past, present, and future and the kinship we have with nature, and one another. In the spirit of progress, there is much to learn. Traditional Owners, Māori, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, have sacred traditions which honour the responsibility for guardianship of the environment, its importance to intergenerational wellbeing, with acceptance that this is a responsibility that must be shared equally. There is a genuine appreciation of the knowledge and sustainable practices of past, and the profound value for the circle of life.

Some things change, some stay the same.

Our passion and values stay the same, and so will the things we stand for – embedding sustainability early; measuring what matters, and valuing what we already have. The IS Rating Scheme will continue to drive global best practice in infrastructure. Our roots will always be proudly Australian; however, we accept that there is more to do, and that our near neighbours also deserve to reap the long-term benefits of sustainable infrastructure for their intergenerational livelihoods.

As we all continue to speak our old name fondly, we will all get used to our new one – the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, the IS Council, or the I-S-C. There are many things that need to shift with this evolution, like the seasons some will be bright, bold, and immediately evident; others will be more gradual. As always, we are listening – if you notice the odd logo or reference out of a place; do let us know.

Whether you identify with 2, 4, 6 seasons or more, it is the time for planting, for investing in your teams, your organisational practices, and our industry, so there will be great harvests to enjoy long into the future.

‘Ka mua, ka muri’ – We walk backwards looking forward to the future.

Let’s welcome this season of change rather than as a new beginning, more as a continuation of our clear and visible past, with a call to arms and accelerated action toward a future enabled by resilient, inclusive, low-emission infrastructure.

Always listening
To all our valued stakeholders, there is still time to share your perspectives with us through our Annual Survey. All members stand the chance to win two tickets to the Annual ISConnect Gala Awards.

Please click here to complete the survey 

 

And the winners of 2017 IS Awards are…

Posted on by isca@admin

The 2017 IS Awards evening in Melbourne was our biggest to date, with 240 attendees. Hosted by Craig Reucassel, we enjoyed a fantastic evening of celebration, wine and humour. In terms of award nominations, we had a record number of award submissions this year, which is a real credit to the sustainability industry as a whole. We’d like to thank everybody that attended the evening, and to all award nominees, finalists and awards winners.

You can find the pictures from the event here.

In case you missed the event, here were the winners of each award:

IS Outstanding Achievement Award

The IS Outstanding Achievement Award recognises the IS certified project or asset that has demonstrated the highest overall score and sustainability achievements. This award took into account all projects which were certified between October 2016 – August 2017.

The winner for this category was: Northlink WA | Southern Section | Design

IS Impact Award

The IS Impact Award recognises the IS project/asset that exhibits the most outstanding leadership and greatest contribution to advancing infrastructure sustainability in Australasia.  Nominations came from any project or asset that is currently pursuing an IS rating, or was certified with an IS rating between October 2016 and August 2017.

This award was split into two, projects which were worth more than $20 Million in capital value, and projects which were worth less than $20 Million in capital value.

The winner for the >$20 Million IS Impact Award was: Northlink WA | Southern Section | Design

The winner for the <$20 Million IS Impact Award was: Queen Elizabeth Street & Collect Street Project (Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council)

Organisational Leadership in Infrastructure Sustainability Award

The Organisational Leadership in Infrastructure Sustainability Award recognises the organisation that exhibits the most outstanding performance, leadership and greatest contribution to advancing infrastructure sustainability in Australasia.

The winner for this category was: Level Crossing Removal Authority

Individual Leadership in Infrastructure Sustainability Award

The Individual Leadership in Infrastructure Sustainability Award recognises the individual who best exhibits the most outstanding performance, leadership and greatest contribution to advancing infrastructure sustainability in Australasia.

The winner for this category was: Nicole Neal (Cardno)

IS Thought Leadership: Peter Mulherin | Sustainable Procurement

Posted on by isca@admin
Published on: August 13, 2021

IS Thought Leadership: Sustainable Procurement

By Peter Mulherin

Today we see rapidly changing dynamics as border and transport challenges increase, forcing a greater focus on local source suppliers and governments become more nationalistic.

Infrastructure procurement is increasingly being used as a mechanism to raise local industry content and capability together with delivering social and environmental outcomes. Businesses that innovate, collaborate and demonstrate leadership in this regard will enjoy growth as governments, financiers and the public increase demands for accountability.

Procurement decisions by corporations can have a profound impact through informing and creating demand and also delivering longitudinal impact to communities and society more generally.

The way money is spent is the most challenging and revealing of activities and, when informed, these decisions have the potential to influence the design and utility for suppliers of products and services. The decision of procurement has an impact for better or worse, backward through the supply chain and perhaps even more importantly forward through the longitudinal performance and utility, lifecycle and ultimately recovery or waste of the resources involved. The commitment of funds represents a point of reference and demonstration of the personnel and processes of the corporation and a reflection of the values it holds.

If we are to meet national commitments, corporate declarations and individual aspirations for Sustainable Development Goals we will need greater action in policy direction, strategic decisions and at the moment of procurement commitments. Today more than ever procurement decisions will determine the achievement of success and growth of corporations or their demise.

Of relevance are the words of Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England who observed that “companies that don’t adapt will go bankrupt without question.” He added; “There will be great fortunes made along this path aligned with what society wants.” And “ The more we invest with foresight; the less we will regret in hindsight”.

Corporations are faced with these risks and opportunities in their procurement decisions and those that embrace this foresight will find new clients and markets for their services. One prominent approach with countless successful case studies is the adoption of the principles of circularity; designing out waste in products and processes over the lifecycle, extending the longevity of utilisation through making repairs and maintenance more timely and cost effective, and building regenerative systems in harmony with nature.  This approach will help integrate our infrastructure into, upon and around us by considering species habitat, climate change, topography and support to rural and indigenous communities.

For example traditionally a tunnel that transits from A to B in the most direct route for low initial cost may win approval; however, an alternative approach may be one where the route follows a mineral body from which resources may be extracted and materials used in the fabrication of tunnel walls, or for use in other works. This may create shared value in collaboration with miners, emerging technologies in low/utilised carbon materials and in the extraction process, which offsets the cost of tunnelling. One option creates waste and another creates valued by-products for aligned industry and while the route may be longer this is of little consequence with the advent of electric, driverless and autonomous transport systems.

We may also ask; does our infrastructure design consider these new modes of transport? Are we building roads to fix todays congestion and creating debt, cost and liabilities or are we building enduring and resilient intergenerational mobility systems for the common wealth?

Public and private infrastructure spend is of particular importance given the large up front investment in procurement. This is addressed by understanding the longitudinal opportunity through design, and for extended utilisation and resource recovery.

Those businesses that adapt and find new value propositions to existing challenges will prosper. When businesses see waste they may equally see wealth; tunnel spoil may be seen as a financial liability or it may be allocated as a social and sustainability asset by delivering research, new jobs and value streams. Previously obscure waste streams such as office stationary by-products, e-waste and organics may be utilised for longitudinal utility, immediate socially impacting occupations, and for research, learning and teaching case studies and career paths.  At the same time that our resources are becoming more limited, we must imagine new business models, social outcomes and circularity principles.

Australia has committed hundreds of billions of dollars to infrastructure spend across defence, civil, health and education. More recently hundreds of billions more has been committed to support social cohesion, job retention and industry support where longitudinal outcomes may be expected. The opportunity for corporates who respond to current government commitments through their procurement decisions will, in response, have implications for future generations. The impact of decisions made today extend beyond the life of many of those involved. Defence materiel takes a long view, looking ahead at least five decades, public transport infrastructure thinks ahead well into the later half of this century. This means that spending today must meet zero carbon commitments or risk building in liabilities, which increase the need for offsets and further drawdown of emissions.

Procurement decisions today create assets or liabilities for our children’s generations, and beyond.

Figure.1

Humandesign

One dollar today may create a liability of ten or an asset recurring in value through design.Those leaders and spenders of corporate funds, who help drive down social and environmental costs can expect to be rewarded, hope to be respected, and perhaps even remembered!

_____

If you would like submit a thought leadership piece, our topic in April is ‘Sustainable Precurement’. For more information on submission guidelines, click here.

Ballarat Line Upgrade | Stakeholder Knowledge Share and Lesson Learnt

Posted on by isca@admin

STAKEHOLDER KNOWLEDGE SHARE AND LESSON LEARNT

BACKGROUND

The Ballarat Line Upgrade (BLU) is being delivered by Rail Projects Victoria (RPV), on behalf of the Victorian Government. The project is part of the $1.75 billion Regional Rail Revival with works extending across approximately 100km of rail line. The project is ISCA rated using the Version 1.2 rating tool.

The Ballarat Line Upgrade (BLU) decided to trial the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Version 2.0 Stakeholder credits (Sta-1 and Sta-2) whilst delivering the IS Design and As Built rating. The trial is classified as an innovation challenge as per the ISCA Innovation Challenge Appendix (Rev 4.4). The BLU Project considered the Ballarat Rail corridor as an ideal stakeholder environment to trial the stakeholder innovation challenge. The corridor has a stakeholder profile that ranges from culturally heritage and historic townships, farming communities, environmental landcare groups and forward-thinking councils to name a few.

ADVICE FOR SUCCESS

The following advice is primarily focussed on the Stakeholder Version 2.0 design rating.

Advice in general – The design rating is key for setting up the project for a successful stakeholder engagement pathway. The stakeholder engagement strategy development is vital in underpinning that success. The project used a register to track how each credit and must statement could be met. This allowed for actions, responsibility and timing.

Lesson learnt – Most Infrastructure construction projects use management plans to meet stakeholder engagement requirements. After consultation with ISCA’s case managers, the BLU Project found that implementation of a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Management Plan (CSEMP) was enough to be used as a strategy. The Plan still addressed the requirements of the credit, however it was used as a joint strategy and management plan in one.

Sta-1, DL1.1 – There are many ‘musts’ that must be populated throughout the stakeholder engagement strategy.

Advice – Using the must statements as headings within the stakeholder engagement strategy or titles of tracking registers is an efficient and effective way to show the must statements are being met. For example, having a section title of: ‘Recording mechanisms’ within the strategy that refers to registers or recording programs is an easy way to prove compliance with that must statement. The recording mechanism must capture engagement activities, meetings with stakeholders and feedback from stakeholders. This also meets another must statement within Sta-2, DL2.3. This must statement mandates that for the lessons learnt process, records of engagement activities must be collated. By having sound recording mechanisms of all engagement activities undertaken, this task has already been done for the lessons learnt exercise.

Lesson Learnt – The project included better links to recording mechanisms within a future Version of the CSEMP. As stated above, establish this early in stakeholder strategy/plans from the planning phase.

Sta-1, DL1.1 – Negotiables and non-negotiables

Advice – Listing negotiables and non-negotiables (with justifications) in the stakeholder engagement strategy is paramount. Often there is a process on how negotiables and non-negotiables are determined, however the strategy should provide justification.

Lesson learnt – The project listed our negotiables and non-negotiables in sub-engagement plans, but not within the main body of the stakeholder engagement strategy. This was amended within future revisions of the strategy.

Sta-1, DL1.3 – Strategy is informed by the local context and a social risk assessment

Advice – Incorporating the social risk assessment into the environment and sustainability programmed risk assessments is an efficient way to capture social risk assessments, as these often cross-pollinate with environmental or sustainability control measures.

Sta 1, DL1.3, DL2.1 and Sta-2, DL1.3 – Strategy is informed by the local context and a social risk assessment; Strategy includes targeted activities for different stakeholders and; Priority negotiables are identified by stakeholders.

Advice – The project used early stakeholder engagement summaries to understand the local context and stakeholder characteristics (Sta-1, DL1.3). This information gave us the knowledge to create specific sub-engagement plans (which were referenced in the stakeholder engagement strategy) to engage specific stakeholder groups (a requirement of Sta-1, DL2.1). The purpose of the plan was to detail the program of communications and engagement that would be undertaken to inform stakeholders about: final design; opportunities for comment; how their feedback has been used and; further consultation opportunities. The sub-engagement plans can be further utilised for Sta-2, DL1.3 whereby negotiable issues can be reviewed by stakeholders to understand if priorities have changed. The sub-engagement plans establish the stakeholder engagement program to ensure this review happens throughout design.

Sta-2, DL2.2 – Implementation progress is reviewed and used to update the strategy

Advice – Set up clear measurable objectives in the CSEMP and report on them via monthly reporting to the senior leadership team and client.

Sta-1, ABL2.1 – Strategy is integrated through the project life cycle.

Advice – The project are using the Operations and Maintenance Manuals to provide stakeholder engagement knowledge, activities and historical items through to the operator.

To learn more, visit the Regional Rail Revival Ballarat website.

Pathway to Productive and Sustainable Infrastructure Report

Posted on by isca@admin

Pathway to Productive and Sustainable Infrastructure Report

ISCA has collaborated with over 30 representatives from the building sector, government and academia to produce the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council’s (ASBEC) Pathway to Productive and Sustainable Infrastructure workshop report (the report) calling for a clear pathway to sustainable and productive infrastructure.

The report calls for the development of a 30 Year Infrastructure Plan that combines hindsight, insight and foresight to create a long term plan which can endure inevitable change across government, community and industry.

The report outlines:

  • the need for productive and sustainable infrastructure including its criticality for creating jobs, increasing GDP, and building the resilience and liveability of our communities
  • current challenges in its current infrastructure planning process including the politicisation of plans and decisions, funding and finance constraints, limited business case analysis, lack of foresight and resilience, a constrained tender and contract structure, and the increasing impact of community sentiment
  • future trends regarding consumption, industry, weather severity, demographics, natural resources, “crowd clout” and the cost burden of infrastructure
  • a proposed Infrastructure Planning Framework incorporating the development of a 30 Year Infrastructure Plan, founded in collaboration between community, industry and government, and guidance on implementation through five pathways: engagement, planning, decision, funding and execution

Read the full report here:

Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council: Pathway to Productive and Sustainable Infrastructure Workshop Report

Launch Event: Precast Geopolymer Concrete Elements

Posted on by isca@admin

A Special Breakfast Invitation

Launching Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads’ Technical Specification MRTS270 – Precast Geopolymer Concrete Elements.

DATE: Tuesday 19 February 2019
VENUE: Novotel Brisbane 200 Creek St, Brisbane City Lawson Room
TIME: 7:00am for a 7:30am start until 9:00am 
RSVP: Please RSVP at your earliest convenience to: kelly.fraser@eicactiv.com
COST: Free event

Geopolymer concrete has been increasingly recognised and adopted in Australia for a host of beneficial properties, including improved durability and a lower carbon footprint in comparison to Portland cement based concrete.

The release of this new specification enables the wider adoption of Geopolymer concrete within Queensland and will contribute to achieving the State’s transition to a zero carbon economy.

Stephen Rae, DTMR’s author of MRTS270, will be the key speaker. A Q&A session will follow Stephen’s presentation.

This event is hosted by CIMIC Group companies EIC Activities and CPB Contractors as part of our commitment to innovation, delivering successful projects for clients and working with industry to foster continual improvement.

Please note: This is not an ISCA event. Please contact the above RSVP for more information.

Adelaide Industry Networking Event October 2017

Posted on by isca@admin

Adelaide Industry Networking Event

Industry professionals and students joined one of the biggest IS Industry events in Adelaide to date. A special thanks to our hosts, The University of Adelaide’s ‘Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre’ (ECIC). The event was supported by the ECIC’s “Infrastructure and Sustainability” Winter School program with the cohort of 50 students joining the session. The Winter School program is the first undergraduate course to offer a five-day intensive with students able to pre-qualify as IS Accredited Professionals.

Stephanie Bolt, Sustainability Manager of Adelaide Airport provided an update on their Ops rating and included a showcase of the airport’s sustainability initiatives. These spanned a 1.2MW solar PV installation, autonomous vehicle feasibility, electric vehicle procurement, energy strategy development, waste to energy feasibility, treated stormwater connection to the Terminal 1 cooling towers, and airfield heat island research. Her presentation entitled “Comparing Airports with Airports” focused on the sustainability performance of Adelaide Airport and the role of the IS rating scheme in terms of providing robust nationally recognised benchmarks. Stephanie described some of the challenges encountered in developing and implementing the company’s carbon and climate adaptation, water resources, waste, biodiversity, air quality and noise management plans, whilst coordinating corporate sustainability benchmarking and reporting.

A Panel of subject matter experts facilitated by Dr. Charlie Hargroves provided their views relating to energy policy and the renewable energy market in SA. Cathy Chesson, a Senior Sustainability Consultant with Mott MacDonald provided a brief background of Ene-2 Renewable Energy Credit and shared practitioner’s perspectives on this IS Credit. Dialogue between Sally Cook (Principal Consultant, Energetics), Heather Smith (Changing Weather) and Stephanie Bolt extended to the practical application of the Ene-2 credit; the investment in renewables on a project scale, and exploring integrated opportunities to deliver value beyond project boundaries.

Case Study: CBD and South East Light Rail achieves ‘Leading’ IS Design & As Built Rating

Posted on by isca@admin

Case Study: CBD and South East Light Rail achieves ‘Leading’ IS Design & As Built Rating

Project background

The CBD and South-East Light Rail (CSELR) has been delivered by the ALTRAC Light Rail Partnership (ALR) consisting of ACCIONA Infrastructure Australia Pty Ltd (Acciona) and Alstom Transport Australia Pty Limited (Alstom), on behalf of Transport for NSW. The project achieved an As Built Leading certification with 75.95 points.

The CSELR project consists of the design, construction, manufacture, testing and commissioning of:

  1. a new 12km light rail system to service the Sydney CBD and south east Sydney running from Circular Quay to Central Station via George Street, and on to Kingsford and Randwick via Surry Hills and Moore Park. The CSELR includes Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) (the manufacture of which is outside the scope of this rating), CSELR Stops, terminus facilities, interchanges and facilities for the maintenance and stabling of LRVs;
  1. Public domain works, including a pedestrian zone in George Street from Hunter Street to Bathurst Street; and
  1. Adjustments to existing public roads, existing Utility Services and private properties that are affected by the construction of the CSELR;
  1. The testing and commissioning of the CSELR

Picture 3
Picture 9

Key achievements

  • The project implemented a number of initiatives to reduce water consumption for the operation phase of the project, including LRV Washing (80% reduction of its consumption), Depots (31% reduction) and HVAC Geothermal Cooling system (100%). These initiatives resulted in a reduction of more than 10% of the total water consumption of the project.
  • Through different initiatives the project has managed to reuse 100% of the spoil generated. This was tracked with a material transfer docket system onsite and this information was then entered into a tracker for monthly reporting.
  • The project also achieved an overall >95% diversion of inert and non-hazardous waste from landfill and an overall 88% diversion of office waste material from landfill.
  • The Sustainability Strategy developed by TfNSW provided the overarching commitments for the CSELR and specifically requires the procurement and purchasing process to consider appropriate environmental policies and systems through the supply chain. To ensure these commitments are implemented during design and construction a Sustainable Procurement Plan was developed for the project and sets out the process to ensure all social, environmental and economic aspects were considered. This plan included a questionnaire completed by the tender giving a non-cost score to each tender, which included assurances of their sustainability policy. Then a multi criteria analysis model was used for the initial comparison of potential suppliers. Following the supplier evaluation process, engaged tenderers are issued a contract which incorporate project environmental/sustainability objectives/targets and suppliers had to provide metrics on a monthly basis, and if targets were not met the project managed this with the supplier.

Innovations

First in Australia: Aesthetic Power Supply (APS) Ground level powered wire-free tram operation

The CSELR was the first in Australia to introduce the concept of wire-free tram operation in design and utilise ALSTOM’s Aesthetic Power Supply (APS), a ground level power supply system which provides catenary free (wire free and pole free) tramway operation. This innovative technology achieves catenary free tram way operation by providing a segmented street level powered rail (3rd rail) to supply power to the tram which is picked up by two contact shoes located on both sides of the tram central bogie. This technology preserves unobstructed views of the city’s historic landmarks and creates a more aesthetic public domain, promoting tourism and the economic growth of the city.

First in Australia: Harmonic and energy saving optimiser (HESOP) – Braking Energy Recovery System

ALSTOM’s Harmonic and Energy Saving Optimiser (HESOP) technology is an advanced reversible substation that allows up to 99% energy recovery during tram braking to be re-used throughout the network or injected back into the electricity grid.

First in Australia: Geothermal Air-Conditioning

The underground High Cross Park electrical substation utilises a geothermal air conditioning system which moves hot air out of the building using earth loops. This process is innovative as it uses a natural cooling system (geothermal cooling) to cool the substation and eliminates the need for cooling towers or condensing units and enables significant energy, carbon and water savings.

First in Australia – Citadis X05 (Type 305) LRV – Permanent Magnetic Motors (PMM)

The Citadis X05 features permanent magnetic motors providing traction to the LRV. The Permanent Magnetic Motor belongs to the synchronous motor category with a stator that produces a rotating magnetic field, while the rotor creates its own flux using embedded permanent magnets. The Citadis Permanent magnetic motors have a higher power to weight ratio, delivering up to a 15% energy saving with lower maintenance requirements and delivering a quieter vehicle.

Acknowledgements

Rosie Dutton
Tien Tran
Mark Chilton

____

Project Name: CBD and South East Light Rail
Certified Rating: Leading IS Design and As Built
IS Project Manager: Claudia Sylvestre

Webinar Recap: Social Impact In Infrastructure Business Cases

Posted on by isca@admin

Social impacts in infrastructure

Webinar Topic: Social Impacts in Infrastructure Business Cases
Sponsored by Arcadis

When we look at major projects in Australia like the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, Sydney Metro, the Pacific Highway upgrades and many more, we think about how much they are going to improve our journeys.

We quantify the financial investment and what they’re expected to return, how many jobs will be created and how the asset might reduce traffic.

The merits of a project’s social impacts are rarely top of mind. Though, this idea has slowly been creeping into our consciousness.

We are now increasingly considering the environmental, community and cultural value of these major projects.

The question is how do we quantify these often un-quantifiable results?
This was the question the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA), Consult Australia and Building Queensland discussed in a recent webinar entitled ‘Social Impacts in Infrastructure Business Cases’.

Consult Australia is an association representing businesses in design, advisory and engineering. In late 2020 it released a report entitled ‘Considering social impacts in infrastructure business cases’.

The  report looks at the methodologies for including social impacts and experiences, such as through frameworks, tools and analysis methods to demonstrate the impacts and benefits of these outcomes.

It highlights the effect COVID-19 has had on our economic outlook and the changes it has made to the way we use infrastructure, citing that now is the time to increase our focus on social value.

Nicola Grayson, Chief Executive of Consult Australia explained some of the benefits the report found could be achieved when considering social impacts at the business case stage.

“By considering the social impacts in business cases we will have a stronger understanding of project benefits. If we spend this time taking a deep dive into social impact we can get much clearer insights and also draw on previous experiences,” Grayson said.

“In doing this we can also realise increased likelihood of project success, which we all want, which is about clearly informing the problem definition and possible solutions.”

She noted that while there are a number of different methodologies that can be used, the best approach will depend on the context and objectives of each project.

One such organisation embedding social impacts into its standard business case, such as for the Toowoomba Hospital redevelopment, is Building Queensland.

CEO of Building Queensland, Damian Gould was next to present in the webinar, outlining some of the ways in which the organisation implements social impact into its current business cases.

“In April 2020, we completed the latest update to our Social Impact Evaluation Guide material. The update included a specific guidance manual in relation to development of social impact evaluation processes in business cases,” Gould said.

“Understanding the social impact is really commencing at the start of the infrastructure proposal where it’s really important to identify all the social impacts, identify the social context of the project and that all stakeholders will be potentially impacted by the opportunity or the proposal and if there are negative impacts associated with that, how you can identify mitigation strategies.”

Social outcomes are a dedicated theme in ISCA’s Infrastructure Sustainability rating framework and CEO Ainsley Simpson agreed that these outcomes need to be considered at policy planning and procurement to reduce social risk on projects.

“I think it’s really prudent that we look at policy, planning and procurement so we can reduce social risk, we can build credibility for the proponents developing infrastructure be it economic or social and that we enable much greater social licence,” Simpson said.

The thought provoking webinar highlighted the importance of embedding social impacts throughout infrastructure projects nowwhile we have a chance to shape the economic decisions and allocation of funding in order to boost the economy post 2020.

To view full webinar, click here.

In partnership with

Roads

IS Thought Leadership 2021

Posted on by isca@admin

Accelerate sustainability through knowledge sharing and expertise

Provocative Thinking | Transformative Insights | Expertise 

IS Thought Leadership articles aim to address both the challenges and opportunities arising in the infrastructure sustainability industry through knowledge sharing, expertise and experiences.

ISCA is seeking Thought Leadership pieces from members: stakeholders and industry professionals.

  • February: Resilience
  • March: Net Zero
  • April: Infrastructure Planning

 

Submission Guidelines

  • Articles should be 1-2 pages long (max 1000 words) and provide genuinely useful information which showcases expertise, rather than promotional content.
  • We require at least one high resolution image to accompany the article, but please provide additional images, charts, graphs, tables if required to improve understanding and retention of content.
  • We prefer to receive unique content so please let us know if the article has been published elsewhere.  Each author is responsible for the accuracy of the content and accompanying images provided and confirms that the content and images do not infringe upon the rights, including any copyright rights, of any person or entity.
  • By submitting content, you give ISCA permission to publish, reprint and promote the content in whole.

To submit an article or case study on any of the topics above, please get in touch via marketing@isca.org.au

Why is Resource Efficiency Important for Infrastructure Sustainability?

Posted on by isca@admin

Resource Efficiency in a Circular Economy

IS Thought Leadership by Alison Price and Danica Streader, SoilCyclers Pty Ltd

The construction industry is one of the largest waste producers in Australia, generating more than 20 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste each year. As organisations seek out new opportunities to achieve competitive advantages and innovations, the focus of some businesses has started to turn to resource efficiency. For larger infrastructure projects, the value in successful resource management lies in the ability to scale your own onsite recycling processes.

Why is Resource Efficiency Important for Infrastructure Sustainability?

Traditionally, the civil construction industry has focused efforts on moving the maximum amount of soil within the shortest time frame, as cheaply as possible. Our current highly competitive environment is forcing companies to incentivise innovation, with businesses now finding new sustainable opportunities through turning unsuitable site materials into viable specification resources for onsite reuse.

Turning unsuitable site soils into specification topsoils that require less water costs less upfront, and results in reduced maintenance costs for the asset owner. The new goal for contractors is to not only complete the project on schedule and on budget, but to hand over a visually attractive asset the community can be proud of with reduced or self-sustaining maintenance costs. By reducing the use of raw resources, you can cut costs and create a virtuous economic cycle.

While states like Victoria are leading the way in promoting recycled content on highways and roads, there are very limited specifications for recycled content in landscaping or anything other than the road itself. On the other hand, states such as Queensland and now New South Wales are requiring amelioration of unsuitable soils for landscaping reuse to a specification that is far more thorough and scientific than the majority of the commercial soils available in the marketplace. One Queensland project SoilCyclers is working on is now recycling the green waste stripped from the site prior to construction to make a composted soil conditioner being used as part of the onsite soil recycling process. Composts can be used to reintroduce soil microbial activity, help soil to retain moisture and increase plant growth rates. With the science that exists today, it’s possible to plant less expensive trees that are half the size and have them grow twice as fast. As well as reusing waste from the site to reduce the cost of expensive products that are usually imported to the site, this process has also helped reduce the risk to the project of negative media exposure, with a number of local composters in court recently for PFAS contamination in compost.

Other onsite recycling opportunities include altering the geotechnical properties of unsuitable fill materials to make specification fills, and reusing road base and rubble pulled up during onsite earthworks as part of the construction process for the new asset. All these strategies can result in less trucks on local roads, reduced costs, and reduced use of virgin quarried materials. With detailed specifications, onsite recycling can also result in less risk to the project and of course less waste generated by our industry.

Soil

What Does This Look Like in Practice?

As one of Australia’s leading soil recycling and mixing specialists, the SoilCyclers team have been helping our clients make specification materials they need out of the unsuitable materials onsite. For one recent highway upgrade project in Queensland, our client required 90,000m3 of MRTS16 specification topsoil for landscaping reuse. Rather than just ticking the box with imported materials, we worked collaboratively with our client to identify more economical alternatives to imported ameliorants and increased the recycled content on their project, as well as reducing the amount of waste they needed to dispose of offsite. Another roads project in New South Wales, we created A1 specification fill material out of sand that contained low level contamination. By finding a way to safely reuse this material within the road reserve, the client avoided almost a million dollars in disposal costs. These are just two interesting examples where doing the right thing environmentally can also offer significant cost-savings for clients.

Below are some considerations to help guide you to achieving resource efficiency:

  • Create a quality specification that ensures recycled products are safe and effective.
  • Test your products frequently to reduce risk – recycled site materials are far more variable than mined quarry materials.
  • Consider identifying onsite recycling areas within the road reserve or nearby depots as part of the tendering process to encourage increased onsite recycling and better resource efficiency on infrastructure projects.

 

New SA Water Plant Sets Australian Sustainability Record

Posted on by isca@admin

Media Release

SA Water’s new Murray Bridge Wastewater Treatment plant has been awarded the highest design rating to date for a water or wastewater project in Australia, from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA).

The $52 million project received an ‘excellent’ design rating based on its score of 72, beating out previous leader Sydney Water who scored 69 for its Lower South Creek Treatment Program.

ISCA is a member-based, not-for-profit peak body operating in Australia and New Zealand with the purpose of ensuring all infrastructure delivers cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits. ISCA enact this through the application of the IS Rating Scheme across the planning, design, construction and operations phases of infrastructure assets.

South Australia’s newest wastewater treatment plant in Murray Bridge, south-east of Adelaide, became fully operational this week, able to process up to 4.5 million litres of sewage a day from more than 14,000 people.

Project construction began in October 2018, and since this time SA Water has worked with lead contractor John Holland to build the treatment plant and three new connecting pump stations, lay an additional 18 kilometres of underground pipe and install around 420 ground-mounted solar panels at the plant site.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Community and Stakeholder Engagement Matthew Bonnett said the ISCA rating is testament to efforts by the project team, contractors and suppliers to put sustainability and environmental management at the fore during all stages of the project.

“This includes building climate change resiliency into the treatment plant’s design; minimising waste, dust, noise and vegetation removal during infrastructure installation; sourcing local equipment and supplies where possible; and investing in innovative treatment processes for ongoing operation,” Matthew said.

“A big part of the project’s success has also been working with the local community in the lead-up to and during construction, with site tours and tailor-made education workshops for local school students.”

The new treatment plant, located around 10 kilometres from the township, replaces the 1970s-built facility adjacent the local marina. It aims to support local population and industry growth through a daily capacity increase of two million litres and enhanced treatment processes and odour control facilities.

Mr Bonnett said it was important the new treatment plant’s design went beyond basic reliability, to ensure its operations did not negatively impact the surrounding community or Lower Murray environment.

“To eliminate the source of odour from the previous Murray Bridge treatment plant and the potential for discharge into the River Murray during flood events, we worked with the Environment Protection Authority to investigate solutions,” Matthew said.

“The outcome of this assessment was to adopt improved treatment processes and move the plant away from the river floodplain and residential areas.

“This is a fantastic result for the local community and it’s pleasing to see that after the years of planning and engagement, this new and improved facility is now operating as part of the wider sewer network, and will continue to for many years to come.”

The new plant incorporates an odour control unit, which consists of a bio-trickling filter and activated carbon tanks, designed to remove 99.95 per cent of odour from the plant.

“It also has an advanced biological treatment process called a ‘moving bed biofilm reactor’, which helps to break down sewage into sludge in a more compact, efficient and adaptable way than conventional methods, and Murray Bridge is one of the first non-industrial wastewater treatment plants in Australia to use this technology,” Matthew said.

“As with the previous facility, the plant will continue to recycle 100 per cent of its treated wastewater for irrigation use at a Department of Defence training area and a nearby pastoral property, and the on-site solar array will ultimately generate 150 kilowatt hours a day, helping to power the treatment plant.”

Landscaping and the planting of more than 40 native plant species recently wrapped up at the new wastewater pump station at the corner of Jervois and Swanport Village Road, and an art installation incorporated into the pump station’s design is expected to be complete in coming months.

The installation focuses on sharing with the wider community, the culture of the region’s Traditional Owners, the Ngarrindjeri people, and their connection to water, with an interpretive walking trail through a landscaped area around the pump station and a sculpture of Kungari (swan) eggs being the key features.

Options for the future use of the previous treatment plant site will continue to be discussed with key local stakeholders.

__

For further information contact SA Water’s media team on 08 7424 2477