Pacific Highway Upgrade Woolgoolga
to Ballina (W2B): Wave 5C Early Works

• Bulk earthworks, and haulage of 22,000m3 mulched material to cogeneration for power consumption.
• Topsoil stripping and excavation for foundation treatments.
• 10,000m3 of treating and processing of acid sulfate material.
• 82,000m3 of imported drainage rock fill foundations.
• Embankment and spill-through materials.
• 200,000m3 of processed site-won fill material.
• Successful protection of threatened species habitat during piling pad works.
• Installation of drainage culverts and swale drains.
• Successful creek diversion within an Oxleyan Pigmy Perch (OPP) habitat waterway.
• Plank bridge crossing of ‘BC52’ waterway.
• Successful demolition of property, including management of asbestos materials.
• Identification, relocation, and commissioning of public utilities.
• Site access and egress facilities.
• Rehabilitation and re-vegetation of disturbed areas
• Stabilisation of embankment surfaces

Finishing works including corridor boundary and fauna fencing.

At our site, we uphold a strict no-tolerance policy for the discharge of both clean and contaminated water beyond our project perimeter. To address this vital environmental concern, we undertook an inventive solution for collecting, filtering, and utilising all water resources.

We erected cofferdams within an environmentally sensitive waterway, creating a secure access route for the efficient importation of all site materials. This proactive approach allowed us to stockpile resources in preparation for the OPP breeding season.

Notably, the challenging terrain we face compelled us to construct these cofferdams by hand, safeguarding threatened fish habitats and waterways.

• Diversion and relocation of an OPP waterway using pump-around solutions and de-fishing operations
• Unexpected find of Threatened Frog habitat requiring wash-down and treatment facilities for all plant and labour accessing restricted site areas.
• Excavation, treatment, and processing of 10,000m3 of acid sulfate materials within an OPP management area and below the 1:20 ARI utilising a specially designed and constructed treatment pad.
• Processing of all cleared vegetation and transport to local cogeneration facility to be used for power consumption.
• Utilising soil binders for embankment and stockpile stabilisation.
• Sourcing imported rock and engineered fill from local quarries.
• A crushing and screening operation was set up in the Lang Hill Area 5 Cut, using an Xcentric ripper to excavate through hard sandstone.
• Extensive dust control systems were implemented to reduce dust from entering adjacent threatened fish habitat waterways.
• Increasing the maximum particle size of the ‘E5’ drainage rock to reduce wastage and by-products.
• A Truck-Bus Avoidance System V1 (T-BAS1) was a technological solution to combat the problem of trucks and school bus interaction and increase public safety during haulage activities from the quarry to the project.

One of the challenges throughout the duration of the project was working within the environmental constraints of the OPP Habitat Management Program.

The Department of Environment and Energy has a current recovery plan in place for this fish species.

OPP is a small freshwater fish that has been listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1944.

The National Recovery Plan is in place to encourage the long-term survival of this species, and therefore it was imperative for SEE Civil to create and implement innovative methods of construction to facilitate the recovery plan and achieve project objectives.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI Fisheries) recognised SEE Civil’s efforts and issued a letter addressed to the Transport for NSW (nee RMS) General Manager supporting and recognising the Excellent Environmental Performance of SEE Civil on the Wave 5C project.

“…The Department of Primary Industries (DPI Fisheries) has been working very closely with the Roads and Maritime Service and project contractors on the Pacific Highway upgrade for over a decade now. During this period, there have been many instances of innovation and collaboration that have achieved significant outcomes for aquatic biodiversity. Of particular note, I wish to highlight and acknowledge the excellent environmental performance achieved by SEE Civil by undertaking the Wave 5C project of the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the highway upgrade.”