Environmental and sustainable outcomes

Message from the Minister

The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change and the Minister for Solar Homes

As one of the leading players in the Victorian economy, the Government has a significant role to play in reducing our ecological footprint as a state.

As a direct result of government buyers’ focus on sustainable outcomes, we’re seeing a marked shift from non-sustainable materials and practices, to the use of sustainable content, design and innovative processes across our major infrastructure projects.

This brings value for money for Victorian taxpayers, lowers our carbon emissions, and provides new opportunities for suppliers across the State.

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, it’s important not to lose sight of the environmental impacts of our activities.

Through social procurement, we’re helping to pass on a healthy environment to our kids and grandkids.

Key achievements

Major road and rail projects provide many recycling and sustainability opportunities. In cooperation with our delivery partners, we have used the following over the life of these major projects:

972,804t of crushed concrete located at the following sites:

• Monash Freeway Stage 2
• O’Herns Road Stage 2
• Hallam Road and Narre Warren North
• Furlong Main, Blackburn, Heatherdale
• Kororoit Creek, Abbotts Road
• Melton Highway
• Mernda Rail Extention
• Mordialloc Freeway
• Melbourne Metro
• West Gate
• Western Roads Upgrade

155,283t of slag/fly ash located at the following sites:

• Mordialloc Freeway
• Western Highway
• Bourke, North, McKinnon, Centre
• Furlong, Main, Blackburn, Heatherdale
• Camp Road, Skye Road & Frankston Station
• Bayswater Level Crossing
• Hurstbridge Line Upgrade
• Kororoit Creek, Abbotts Road
• Melton Highway
• Mernda Rail Extension
• West Gate

156,053t of reclaimed asphalt product located at the following sites:

• Mordialloc Freeway
• Monash Freeway Stage 2
• Drysdale Bypass
• Hallam Road and Narre Warren North
• Western Roads Upgrade
• Bayswater Level Crossing
• West Gate

1,210,100t of reused fill located at the following sites:

• Mordialloc Freeway
• Monash Freeway Stage 2
• O’Herns Road Stage 2
• Drysdale Bypass
• Yan Yean Road Stage 1
• Western Highway
• Western Roads Upgrade
• Melbourne Metro

16,997t of glass sand located at the following sites:

• O’Herns Road Stage 2
• Western Roads Upgrade
• West Gate

377,920t of crushed rock/brick/ballast located at the following sites:

• O’Herns Road Stage 2
• Western Roads Upgrade
• West Gate

100t of crumb rubber located at the following site:

• Drysdale Bypass

Sustainability requirements on major projects

Our large projects also include significant sustainability requirements, which cover both the delivery of the project and where appropriate, the on-going operation of the infrastructure. These requirements include:

• Energy-efficient lighting at construction sites and site facilities.
• Use of high efficiency diesel generators.
• Use of green power and carbon offsets.
• Energy efficient lighting and hot water systems.
• Use of solar panels where possible.
• Waste management practices to maximise diversion from landfill.
• Regenerative drives on escalators which enable the capture, storage and reuse of otherwise wasted braking energy.

These activities have had a real impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To date (from 2015 onwards), a total of 138,058 tonnes CO₂e has been reduced across all Level Crossing Removal Program projects, including:

• Burke Road, North Road, McKinnon Road, Centre Road project
• Furlong Road, Main Road, Blackburn Road, Heatherdale Road project
• Bayswater
• Melton Highway
• North West Program Alliance (Buckley Street)
• Mernda Rail Extension
• Southern Program Alliance (Initial Works Package)
• North East Program Alliance (Hurstbridge Stage 1)
• North West Program Alliance (Camp Road, Skye Road and Frankston Station)
• Western Program Alliance (Kororoit Creek Road, Abbotts Road)

For financial year 2019-20 alone, a total of 20,944 tonnes CO₂e has been reduced¹ across three major infrastructure projects:

• Melton Highway
• North West Program Alliance (Buckley Street)
• Southern Program Alliance (Initial Works Package).

1. The stated consolidated CO₂e reduction incorporates both realised construction and projected operational phase reductions across the projects for a period of 50 years (as informed by the Australian Transport Assessment and Planning Guidelines for Rail Projects).

Did you know?

If you are looking for products with recycled content, there is a new Victorian Government directory to help you find suppliers: Sustainability Victoria’s Buy Recycled.

Recycled First is a new Victorian Government policy requiring:

• bidders on all road and rail construction infrastructure projects to demonstrate how they will optimise their use of recycled and reused materials
• contractors report on the types and volumes of recycled and reused products they used

Case studies

Re-purposed timber Port Campbell Creek pedestrian bridge

Parks Victoria commissioned a new pedestrian bridge for Port Campbell Creek that uses re-purposed timber. The project:

• used 1,132 lineal meters of recycled timber used
• 400t of ballast rock recycled for use on future projects

The work was undertaken by Simpson Construction Company, which specialises in recycling construction products, such as recycled wood, plastic and aggregate.

The decking for the bridge is constructed of ironbark and spotted gum recycled from the Norco Co-op building in Lismore, New South Wales.

Nearby steps leading to the beach will be built using wire-brushed ironbark recycled from the Australian Navy base on Garden Island at Potts Point in New South Wales.

Simpson Construction Company’s mission to reduce Australia’s carbon footprint and move the construction industry towards a circular economy has led it to purchase a large block of land in East Gippsland.

Over the next five years, the company will return this land to its natural state by re-planting native vegetation.

Parks Victoria’s partnership with Simpson Construction Company has opened up new possibilities for the use of recycled materials in other projects.

Harvesting stormwater for urban greening

City West Water (CWW) worked with six local councils and sporting precincts to build stormwater harvesting projects that create green urban spaces in Melbourne’s west, while reducing the use of drinking water to maintain parks and gardens.

This part of Melbourne has a hot, dry climate, with lower rainfall than most metropolitan regions, and it is also home to a number of communities with low socioeconomic status.

The stormwater projects address both these issues by providing greener urban spaces that people can gather in and enjoy better health and wellbeing through passive and active outdoor recreation.

In addition, the projects provide community assets that are resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Together, the six projects have reduced drinking water demand by 100 megalitres a year, as well as improving waterway health and vegetation and minimising flooding and erosion.

They have also created wetland habitat for local plants, birds and animals.

The project at Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy involved the installation of a fully recycled polypropylene stormwater harvest system that captures and distributes stormwater to irrigate this iconic parkland.

The project will deliver savings of 20 million litres of drinking water a year, and even after its 50-year service life, the plastic used in the installation can still be recycled.

Improved site and environment:

• Increased visitations and activation of open space.
• Enhanced amenity and greening of high-profile open space.
• Improved waterway health and vegetation.
• Improved wetland habitat and local fauna.
• Minimised flooding and erosion impact on site and downstream.

Saving to energy and resourcing:

• Reduced demands on potable water – 100ML/year.
• Reduced water bills for the customer – $240 000/year.
• Energy required to operate the scheme, pumping versus gravity and alternatives energy sources considered ~40,000kw/year (projected savings by end of 2020)
• Edinburgh Gardens project used 100% recycled polypropylene materials.

Improved water quality as compared with existing water quality in existing ponds:

• Nitrogen removal from waterway via SWH treatment/irrigation 295 kg/year (projected savings by end of 2020)
• Phosphorous Removal 61 kg/year (projected savings by end of 2020)
• Total Suspended Solids Reduction (61 kg/year) (projected savings by end of 2020)
• Total Gross Pollutants Reduction 2,400 (projected savings by end of 2020)

Recycling in road maintenance

South East Water uses two suppliers who help maintain asphalt, concrete and paved surfaces.

Asphalt FX and Prestige Paving both have a strong focus on recycling and sustainability.

They support South East Water’s 24/7 emergency response team, and are often called upon to repair roads, driveways, footpaths and brick paving once a water or sewer fault is repaired.

Pavel Aronovych, General Manager of Prestige Paving, says:

‘All asphalt excavated during South East Water road work is recycled, and then we re-use the asphalt mix on South East Water road repairs.’

In 2019–20, Asphalt FX recycled 6 792 tonnes of material that came from South East Water’s repair projects and used 1 040 tonnes of recycled materials.

Prestige Paving recycled 980 tonnes from South East Water, and used 253 tonnes.

'We reduce, reuse and recycle construction waste whenever we can, and we're taking practical steps to minimise our carbon footprint.'

Kallan Fabris
Director of Asphalt FX

Moving towards sustainable business practices

The Department of Justice and Community Safety’s environment team administers the organisation’s environmental management system (EMS), which sets out environmentally sustainable design (ESD) requirements that construction projects must adhere to.

These include waste management requirements and minimum requirements for the use of recycled materials in construction work.

Through the ESD guidelines, the department sets standards to reduce resource use and to select sustainable materials. For example, minimum standards stipulate that 50% of the water used in concrete mix must be from non-potable sources, and that a minimum of 80% of construction and demolition waste is diverted from landfill.

In addition, 90% of timber on projects must be reused, recycled or certified in accordance with the relevant schemes.

The team supports these projects by providing advice to project managers and other stakeholders within the department.

Sustainability Victoria takes a similar approach to working with suppliers, and procurement policies now require suppliers to provide an EMS, with 10% of total weighted evaluation criteria assigned to social value and/or environmentally sustainable business practices.

Short stories

Victorian Electoral Commission embraces environmental sustainability

For the ballot materials for the 2020 local government elections, the Victorian Electoral Commission is using 100% recycled paper from Victoria supplier Australian Paper, located in Maryvale, Gippsland. Previously this was sourced from an overseas supplier.

Also, to significantly reduce the amount of physical mail, they are now using an electronic notification system.