Capability Statement

Our team on the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project in outback Queensland has used 100% non-potable for construction purposes to date.  The Kidston project involves the world first conversion of a disused gold mine into a pumped storage hydroelectric plant.

Water for construction use has been sourced from the Copperfield Dam and associated pipeline, which was constructed to supply the mine with water when operational. Water has also been used from one of the large pits on site, which has subsequently filled with rain water since the mine closure 20 years ago.

Over 25 megalitres has been sourced from the onsite pit (equivalent to 10 Olympic sized swimming pools), with the remainder coming from Copperfield Dam.

The water is used for various purposes on site such as dust suppression, concrete batching, conditioning, and also as an input to the onsite water treatment plant, which produces the site's drinking water.

Our Mordialloc Freeway Project (MFP) won the Excellence in Environmental Outcomes Award at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council Gala Awards 2021. The awards celebrates sustainability best practices across Australia and New Zealand. 

Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) is the peak body for infrastructure sustainability, advocating for the delivery of cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits in all infrastructure projects. 

The MFP is a 9 km freeway link in Victoria, incorporating interchanges, bridges over wetlands and a shared user path. The project implemented a range of world-first sustainability initiatives in response to Victoria’s waste crisis and shortage of quarry materials, creating ‘Australia’s greenest freeway’. 

Thousands of tonnes of otherwise waste material were used to construct noise walls, asphalt pavements, concrete reinforcing mesh and stormwater drainage pipes. This shift to sustainable consumption of materials achieved a 27% reduction in embodied energy.

The judges acknowledged the significant effort in innovating new technologies to divert waste away from landfill, saying…

“The focus on reduced truck trips, local sourcing and recycling is a powerful way to improve industry practices. 

“The MFP demonstrates the potential cost benefits of improvised sustainability practices while supporting development and scale-up of local industry.”

On the Granite Island Causeway Project in South Australia our team used the 'hand over hand' construction method to minimise environmental impacts and ensure delivery on time.

The 'hand over hand' method employs three concurrent work fronts:

• Front one installing the permanent piles
• Front two installing the grouted HDPE sleeves and the precast headstocks
• Front three installing the precast longitudinal girders and decks. 

As the structure advances out into the water it acts as a construction platform for the work crews to build the next stage. Each work front takes a similar duration, ensuring maximum certainty in productivity and schedule.  

Analysis was conducted on various construction approaches during the tender phase, including the use of jack-up barges or a temporary bridge structure to facilitate construction. However, the 'hand over hand' method was the only one capable of achieving completion by the target date. 

The other benefit of the method is its minimal footprint. Minimising the impact on the sensitive marine environment was a key consideration during the tender and design phases of the project. 

The adoption of the method, along with the use of precast prestressed deck units which pushed the span out as far as possible, minimised the number of pile driving operations further reducing the impact on the marine environment.  

The design and construction methodology was fit-for-purpose and extremely efficient. It resulted in on time and on budget completion and had a low impact on Victor Harbor's rich marine ecology.  

Our team on the Webb Street Level Crossing Removal Project in Melbourne has taken a proactive approach to address greenhouse gas emissions by incorporating 80% Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) in their concrete slab, the highest SCM content in Victoria!

Portland Cement is a binding agent used in concrete, and traditional cement production is a significant contributor to global carbon emission. Using SCM in place of cement further reduces the amount of carbon emissions.

Described as strong and, fit for purpose, the 80% SCM concrete mix can be used for non-structural applications like share user paths or footings. Amongst other locations the Webb Street project is using this mix in the slab that will be the waste enclosure.

We're leading the way with sustainability innovations - working with our suppliers, designers, and our construction teams to reduce carbon emissions!

See what other initiatives are on our Carbon Reduction Roadmap here.

We recently poured the first calcined clay concrete on an Australian rail project.

Produced in the same way as cement, the clay requires only a fraction of the heat to produce it. Therefore, used as a substitute for 30% of the cement in concrete, it lowers greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%. 

Additionally, the mix demonstrated workability and durability, confirming its suitability for large-scale infrastructure projects.

And the great thing is - there’s an extensive supply of suitable clay throughout Australia.

We used the calcined clay in a temporary site slab as a trial. It was a collaborative effort in partnership with the Low Carbon Concrete Working Group, the University of Melbourne, our customer (the Level Crossing Removal Project), Eifers Civil, and Heidelberg Materials.

As part of our ongoing commitment to strong governance and responsible digital transformation, we have formally commenced our journey toward ISO 27001 certification — the globally recognised standard for Information Security Management.

This strategic initiative reflects our determination to protect information assets across all facets of our operations — extending beyond IT to include project data, client information, and sensitive documentation. It is a key pillar in ensuring that information security is embedded within our broader ESG responsibilities.

Why ISO 27001 Matters

ISO 27001 certification will:

• Strengthen our competitive edge in securing and delivering complex, high-trust infrastructure projects.

• Demonstrate to stakeholders our commitment to rigorous information security standards.

• Safeguard the integrity and resilience of our operations across both field and office environments.

Embedding Information Security into Our Governance Framework

The programme is being rolled out initially across our Australian business, with integration into core processes and ways of working. Following its successful implementation, it will be extended to our operations in other regions.

To support this transformation:

• A comprehensive Information Security Policy has been finalised and is now available via MMS, also displayed across key sites and offices.

• A dedicated Information Security Working Group is being established to drive programme delivery and engagement.

Through this initiative, McConnell Dowell is reinforcing its governance foundation — ensuring our systems, people, and practices meet the highest standards of information security while supporting long-term resilience and stakeholder trust.

The team upgrading the Warkworth Pump Station has made some great improvements to the sustainability profile of the project. 

Most of the site services and machinery are usually powered using generators which isn’t very good for the environment. Electricity in the North Island is mostly generated via renewable sources such as hydro, wind, and geothermal so it is much more sustainable to be using mains power rather than diesel where possible. 

Watercare was aware that the transformer powering the existing Lilburn Pump Station was too small for the new pump station. They made the decision to upgrade it as soon as possible so the construction project could use mains power rather than diesel generators. 

The project started in September 2021, using a 30kVA unit generator until mid-March 2022 when a 60kVA unit was added. The smaller generator used about 200L a week or approximately 8000L over a 10-month period. The larger one used at least the same amount or 3200L over four months. 

The site was using about 800L a month to run the generators until July 2022 when the project made the switch. The fact that Auckland’s electricity grid is powered sustainably made connecting to a mains power source much more environmentally friendly than moving to fossil fuel grid power. 

The new mains power supply was used to run site offices and fridges and larger machinery like pumps while we were dewatering to get the best value from the upgraded transformer. 

By making this switch, from fuel to mains power, we have saved 29 tonnes of carbon equivalent being emitted, this is the same as 480 tree seedlings sequestering carbon for 10 years. Or driving 119,643 kms in a passenger vehicle which is the equivalent of removing the carbon emissions from 57 trips between Cape Reinga and Bluff. See the calculation below the graphics if you want to see the math. 

The team has also: 

• used leftover 40Mpa concrete in five 1200 x 1000 x 1000 custom concrete barriers that are now being used onsite. 
• reused timber from the formwork turning it into handrails, dunnage, propping, access stairs etc. 

• All the formply used for constructing the pump station and emergency storage tank has been repurposed for the internal benching concrete and has often been reused three times. 

Calculations: 

The 2022 Ministry for the Environment Fuel Emission Factor) is 2.66 kg CO2-e/litre (Diesel, Industrial, Stationary-Use) 

11,200L x 2.66 kgCO2-e = 29,792 kgCO2-e/litres 

29,792 kgCO2-e/litres divided by 1000 = 29.79 TCO2-e / litre - this is assuming this use was the same for the next 10 months.