News

Hazell Bros Group was recently announced as a Tasmanian CCF Earth Award winner.

The Group's St Mary's Pass Remedial Works Project won the up to $1m category of the CCF Earth Awards, which recognises excellence in civil construction.

The CCF Earth Awards are designed to highlight construction technique, safety, environment, project management, innovation in concept and implementation. 

Project Manager Brendan Moore said that the award win was an accolade of great significance for Hazell Bros.

"The CCF Earth Awards acknowledge excellence in civil construction, which is something that Hazell Bros strives for in every project it undertakes.

"This award recognises Hazell Bros as being at the forefront of civil construction in Tasmania.

"The St Mary's Pass project was very important to the local community as it was part of the cleanup following the December 2006 fires which ravaged St Mary's Pass and the important Esk Main Highway," he said.

Approximately 8000ha of vegetation was destroyed by the fires, (as well as over 20 houses and buildings) leaving the area susceptible to landslides and rockfalls, as well as damaging other important infrastructure such as safety barriers, signs and guide posts.

St Mary's Pass is an important connection for East Coast school buses and a major tourist route; and the road has a long history of slope stability problems. This left the area particularly vulnerable during the winter period due to the almost complete loss of all undergrowth and large trees to impede the migration of any transitory rocks and boulders.

"The main objective of the St Mary's Pass project was to ensure that the road was safe for commuters through the reduction of hazards described as 'a condition with the potential to cause an undesirable consequence' such as road blockage or falling boulders which could overturn or destroy vehicles," Moore said.

Among the major considerations of the works were:

• The need for complete road closure for almost two weeks
• Timing depending on rainfall intensity and duration
• Minimal impact on the community
• Steep slopes, up to 50 metres high
• Strict occupational health and safety requirements

To ensure an effective, coordinated approach to risk management for this project, a comprehensive strategic safety plan was developed to provide an environment for all people onsite which was safe and included safe working systems. Apart from the construction activities, landslips and rock falls were of concern during the works. Therefore, safety checkpoints were established throughout the project to ensure safe operation and movement of equipment and for site personnel throughout the site.

The scope of the works were as follows:

• Rock scaling and batter treatment
• Tree removal
• Rock netting
• Checking and clearing drains and culverts
• Flora rehabilitation

"These works were successfully completed to DIER's requirements," Moore said.

The timing of the project was also extended to allow for the additional works to be undertaken. These additional works were completed with minimal disruption to traffic by the successful implementation of traffic management strategies, involving the use of automated traffic signals and Triton Barriers to protect motorists from rock falls and site workers from traffic.

"The Esk Main Highway, St Mary's Pass Road has now been made a less hazardous thoroughfare for all commuters - a successful outcome for the community, DIER, and Hazell Bros," Moore said.