Completed Hume works win state award

The Hume works team including State Water, AFS, SMEC Australia, Groundtek Drilling Services and Holcim Quarries with their award22 August 2011

Construction of a new filter and drainage system at Hume Dam is now complete and has won a prestigious state construction industry award.

The project involved improvements at the junction between the concrete spillway and the southern embankment, and is the first phase in a $60 million suite of works to bring the dam in line with contemporary best practice and improve the capacity of the dam to withstand extreme floods and earthquakes.

The works are being managed by State Water Corporation and are funded through the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by the partner governments of Australia, NSW, Victoria and South Australia, representing a substantial investment in the region.

The Hume project used two drilling rigs, one specially imported from Germany, to drill more than 10km of 1200mm and 300mm diameter holes, up to 40 metres in depth for the installation of the filter and drainage system.

State Water Program Director Mel Jackson said he was pleased the drainage works were complete and was delighted to announce the project and contractor Advanced Foundation Solutions (AFS) had won its category at the Civil Contractor Foundation’s (CCF) 2011 Earth Awards.

“State Water worked with project contractor AFS and designer SMEC to install the new filter and drainage system,” Mr Jackson said.

“We were delighted to be part of the winning team at the NSW CCF Earth Awards gala dinner in July.” 

The CCF Earth Awards aim to recognise outstanding work in construction and environmental excellence which reflects the development and use of the best technologies and practices by Australian civil contractors.

“The team also implemented an environmental management plan which included initiatives such as recycling resources, using low emission engines on key plant and noise monitoring,” Mr Jackson said.

The team will now contest the national CCF Earth Awards in October 2011.

AFS is currently making final preparations to return site to State Water.

The next phase of work involves construction of a concrete buttress on the southern training wall and is scheduled to commence in November.

Media contact: Jane Urquhart (02) 6841 2087 or 0429 449 711