Capability Statement
Prepared for Prepared for Melbourne Water
May 2026
Introduction General
Thank you for the opportunity to present this brief capability statement which details a cross-section of our skills and experience, and showcases a selection of our recent projects.
About Us (typically use first)
For over 65 years customers have been coming to McConnell Dowell with complex projects that require innovative solutions. That's why we're known as the Creative Construction company.
From remote resources and energy projects to city-shaping infrastructure, we've built thousands of quality assets and facilities.
Engineering-led, our expertise has grown steadily to span building, civil, electrical, fabrication, marine, mechanical, pipelines, rail, tunnel and underground construction..
Vic & Tas Intro (typically use 4th to 8th)
Victoria has been the location of McConnell Dowell's global headquarters for over 40 years, and as our home base we've built a solid reputation across a range of markets and industries in the state.
We are very active in the transport sector and are currently delivering or have completed a series of road and rail projects for the major transport authorities such as Major Road Projects Victoria and the Level Crossing Removal Project. In Tasmania we most recently completed the New Bridgewater Bridge, Tasmania's largest ever transport infrastructure project.
We are also active in the ports sector with a number of projects completed for the Port of Melbourne, the airports sector with multiple projects delivered at Tullamarine International Airport, and the water sector with water pipelines and dams a speciality.
SA Water Frameworks
Improving the reliability and capacity of South Australia's water supply
In joint venture with Diona (the Water North JV) we're one of three major framework partners delivering SA Water’s multi-billion dollar capital delivery program. The 'Frameworks' model fosters collaboration and innovation in the planning and delivery of water projects across metro and regional South Australia.
During the first four years (2020 - 24) our team delivered approximately 150 projects, including the design and construction of:
Fast Facts
- Collaborative delivery program
- Approximately 150 individual projects in first 4 years
- 60,000 m of water pipelines
- 2 earth bank storage projects
- 2 distribution pump stations
- 21 water tank remediation works (including concrete & structural remediation)
Aura and Harmony Infrastructure Program
Improving water and wastewater infrastructure
On behalf of Unitywater, we're delivering critical new water and wastewater infrastructure to support growth on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The new pipelines, pump stations, and storage reservoirs will support the new Aura and Harmony communities in the Caloundra region.
For the Aura development (which will grow to 50,000 residents by 2050), we're delivering a new wastewater network that includes over 12 km of 900 mm diameter pipeline and one pump station. We're also delivering a new water supply network for this community, that includes over 12 km of 800 mm diameter pipeline connecting the Ewen Maddock Dam to a new 12 ML water reservoir.
Fast Facts
- Large diameter (up to 900 mm) water and wastewater pipelines
- 12 ML storage reservoirs
- Pump stations
- Open and trenchless pipeline construction techniques
Fitzroy to Gladstone pipeline
Improving long-term water security
We're delivering the Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline (FGP) project for the Gladstone Area Water Board (GAWB) and the Queensland Government. The project, which will have the capacity to transport 30 gigalitres per annum, will enable long-term water security for urban and industrial customers in the region.
The FGP, which comprises an approximately 117 km long, 1 m diameter pipeline, a water treatment plant, reservoirs, and pumping stations, will also support the emerging hydrogen industry in the Gladstone region of Queensland. We have teamed up with BMD Constructions in a joint venture (the MBJV) to deliver the Project.
Fast Facts
- 117 km long, 1 m diameter pipeline
- New water treatment plant
- Reservoirs and pumping stations
- 21 trenchless crossings
- $10 million First Nations spend
Adelaide Desalination Plant
Setting new benchmarks in efficiency and reliability
We were a member of the Adelaide Aqua consortia responsible for designing, building, and commissioning the Adelaide Desalination Plant, the state's largest ever infrastructure project. The reverse osmosis plant is one of the most efficient in the world and can produce 100 GL of fresh water each year.
The project encompassed all construction disciplines including bulk earthworks, civil structures, marine, tunnelling, mechanical, electrical, and building works. Some 10,000 people were employed during construction.
Fast Facts
- 650,000 m3 of earthworks
- 2 subsea tunnels: 1.4 km and 1.1 km long
- 40 km of fibreglass, steel and PVC pipework
- 12 buildings
- 10,000 people employed during construction
Army Bay Ocean Outfall
Record Breaking Direct Pipe Drive
Using state-of-the-art Direct Pipe® tunnelling technology for the first time in New Zealand helped us mitigate the significant risks we faced on Watercare's Army Bay Ocean Outfall project.
They engaged us to design and construct a new wastewater outfall, upgrade an existing pump station, and build a new ultraviolet disinfection facility to increase the outfall capacity of their Army Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant at Shakespear Regional Park.
Fast Facts
- 3 km of gravity system replacement pipeline
- 1.9 km of trenchless pipeline using the Direct Pipe® system
- 1,100 mm OD HDPE liner pipe (installed within 1200mm OD steel casing)
- 900 mm OD HDPE outfall pipeline
- new UV treatment plant, including electrical controls and standby generator
- 1929 m world record for the longest Direct Pipe® drive.
Echuca Moama Bridge
Providing locals and visitors with safer and easier travels between Echuca and Moama
An innovative bridge solution saw us secure the design and delivery of this important new river crossing for the Victorian and NSW state governments.
Completed four months ahead of schedule, construction of this vital second crossing between Echuca and Moama included new bridges over the Murray and Campaspe rivers, and two new flood relief bridges.
Fast Facts
- 600 m of elevated structures, including a 115 m in-situ balanced cantilever box girder for main river crossing
- Eight span 300 m Campaspe Bridge structure completed in 10 months
- 400,000 tonnes of fill successfully imported through busy border tourist town
- 125 Super-Tees (each 35 m long) used for bridge approaches
- 10,000 tonnes of asphalt laid
- 13.7 ha of habitat improvement works
Mordialloc Freeway
The McConnell Dowell Decmil Joint Venture delivered the Mordialloc Freeway in Melbourne’s south east four weeks ahead of schedule while setting new industry benchmarks in sustainability and workplace mental health management.
The nine kilometre freeway links the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Springvale Road in Aspendale Gardens to the Dingley Bypass in Dingley Village, creating a continuous freeway from Frankston To Clayton.
Fast Facts
- 9 km long multi-lane freeway
- 6 road bridges constructed
- 8 km of shared walking/cycling paths
- 3 million tonnes of earthworks imported
- 74 km of utilities relocated
- 97% of construction waste diverted from landfill
Epping Road Upgrade
Creating safer journeys through Melbourne's northern suburbs
We successfully upgraded a 4 km stretch of Epping Road in Melbourne’s rapidly growing northern corridor — a key infrastructure project enhancing traffic flow, safety, and connectivity for over 35,000 daily road users, 85 local businesses, and 759 properties along the route. This was our fifth successful project for MRPV.
Our scope of work included:
Fast Facts
- Fifth successful project for MRPV
- Adding extra traffic lanes in both directions for 4 km
- Upgrading five existing intersections
- Installing new traffic lights
- Building new walking and cycling facilities
South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Rail Duplication
More frequent and reliable services on Victoria’s busiest regional rail line.
We were are a member of the Djilang Alliance which delivered the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Rail Duplication, providing more frequent and reliable services and better stations for passengers on Victoria’s busiest regional rail line.
The alliance was made up of ourselves, Downer, ARUP and WSP.
Fast Facts
- 8 km of track duplication and signalling upgrades
- Two level crossing removals using rail bridges
- Two new stations
Digital Engineering & Technology
We take a ‘Digital First’ approach to all our projects, equipping our teams with the latest digital tools and systems from the design stage forward.
This helps them identify and address potential issues at the earliest stages of project development, effectively eliminating issues at their genesis leading to lower costs and delays once we start on site.
On site, we use digital tools like drones for surveying, and GPS tracked plant to monitor and improve safety and efficiency.
Bringing gaming technology to marine construction
Our digital engineering team are experts at building applications using 'Unreal Engine' - one of the world's most advanced 3D graphics game engines.
We've used Unreal to develop a traffic simulation tool to test temporary traffic management schemes before rollout, and simulated construction works in an operational airport with AI driven crowd behaviours.
The team's most recent application is a powerful marine construction simulator - fully developed in-house. The simulator combines intelligent 3D plant models and reality capture data to accurately place marine plant in a virtual environment and replicate its real-world capabilities.
The tool enables our teams to simulate methodologies and iterate the positioning of plant and equipment around the design models. This is all done in a realistic environment with features such as accurate bathymetric data, reality capture point-cloud models, and real-world tide levels.
The permanent works build sequence can be tested to ensure we avoid clashes during construction. Plant and equipment is programmed with its real-world performance and dynamic constraints to enable equipment limitations to be established and enabling features such as crane hook capacity to be determined in real-time.
We are leading the industry in simulation - identifying and mitigating constructability issues during the design phase, driving program and cost certainty for our customers.
Connected sites enhancing decision making
Our Western Program Alliance team, which is delivering a series of level crossing removals around metro-Melbourne, has led the implementation of the "Connected Site" initiative.
The Connected Site involves a rapidly deployed wireless network of sensors, monitors, cameras and artificial intelligence across the site that enables enhanced decision making in real-time.
Benefits include:
- Enhanced safety – the interaction between people and high risk environments can be constantly monitored and eliminated
- Improved site logistics – the movement of materials to and from sites can be optimised to suit site constraints and program
- More efficient asset management – monitoring the use of plant and equipment on-site enhances plant usage and utilisation decisions
- Improved compliance - site conditions such as traffic, noise, and vibration can be constantly monitored and correlated agreed benchmarks, demonstrating compliance with consent conditions.
- Improved community and environmental outcomes – the impact of the construction site on the community and environment can be more effectively monitored and managed
- Benchmarking – the actual against forecasted construction progress performance of the site can be constantly and easily measured
Temporary works design and coordination
On the Old Māngere Bridge Project in Auckland, our digital engineering team developed a detailed temporary works and construction staging model to test and coordinate all temporary and permanent works interfaces.
This 260 m long pedestrian and cycle bridge traverses a sensitive marine area and under 110kV power lines, presenting several complex construction challenges.
Mobile crane and piling rig movements were tested against the HV power line Minimum Approach Distance (MAD) envelope to ensure the construction methodology could be achieved safely. In a New Zealand first, the HV envelope geometry was referenced by geospatial sensors fitted to the mobile plant, triggering proximity warnings and automatic shut-down if the envelope was breached. This tool is now widely used across New Zealand.
Other elements that were modelled included the adjacent temporary bridge structure and piling platforms; cofferdams at each pier; pier form and falsework; all propping, and temporary support structures for the main deck and steel arch. Fabrication drawings were subsequently developed from the model for the temporary support elements.
Our use of digital engineering on this project contributed significantly to a safe and efficient construction methodology.
H2030 Strategy
Centred on our engineering heritage and ‘Creative Construction’ value proposition, our Horizon 2030 strategy provides the framework and roadmap for our longer-term market positioning and investment.
The strategy responds to the major trends impacting the world and our industry, both today and into the future. These include climate change, water security, urbanisation, defence self-reliance, and energy transition.
It is enabled by a three-tiered capability platform, as shown in the diagram below...
Closing Text - General with contacts, no video
Summary
Thank you for taking an interest in McConnell Dowell's skills, capabilities and approach. Additional information is available on our website, including additional project case studies.
Contact us through the link(s) below for advice or assistance with your project.