School based science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs are a fantastic opportunity for children to explore the construction industry and embrace their creativity while considering future careers in civil construction.  Enter our joint venture team on the SA Water Frameworks project in South Australia.

Our Capital Delivery Water North team – the McConnell Dowell Diona Joint Venture (MDJV) – was recently approached by Brighton Primary School to participate in a STEM program for year 6 students. Our Morgan to Whyalla pipeline replacement project (MWP) provided the perfect foundation for an ‘in-design’ STEM project for these young and eager students.

Over the past few months, members of the MWP Water North team have been mentoring the students over several sessions at the school and also facilitated a site visit to the pipeline.

MDJV Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Manager Lauren Gardner said the entire team saw this as an opportunity to connect with future customers.

‘It also broadens the horizons of these young students to career opportunities in the water and STEM industries,’ Lauren said.

In the first session, students were introduced to the project and had the opportunity to ask our team questions to help identify the problem they needed to solve. During this presentation our team also introduced their specific roles, responsibilities, and their educational backgrounds, providing an insight for students into the different pathways and opportunities in STEM-based careers.

Students were then placed in small role-specific technical groups and over the coming months were required to identify and define the problem of replacing the pipeline and come up with solutions.

Students present their solutions for replacement of the pipeline

All 100 students were eager for the on-site visit where they were able to touch, feel and listen to the pipeline, learning about its history and how many customers it services.

Water North Framework Manager Marc Doyle said they were all were impressed with the unique and insightful questions posed by the students.

‘They had all clearly conducted methodical researched prior to each of our sessions and all demonstrated solutions that were cohesive of thinking outside the box. This experience personally for me was extremely rewarding seeing their bright minds flourish and collaborative working together in their teams – some future industry leaders were present in the room that’s for sure,’ Marc said.

The team was invited back to the school in September to see the culmination of the many months’ work where a selection of the student teams presented their solutions for the replacement of the pipeline.

‘As is often the case with mentoring relationships, our people are gaining a lot through their roles as mentors, and the students have been making the most of the opportunity to learn from industry professionals,’ said Water North’s Portfolio Manager Mario Borrello.

Breast Cancer Awareness month is October in Australia and, as is tradition at McConnell Dowell, we recently celebrated the naming of our latest 'Pink Ribbon' Franna Crane.

This crane is named "Georgia Mae" after the granddaughter of one of our plant-yard stalwarts, Jim Hall. Pictured below is Jim with his daughter, Janelle Waite, and Georgia Mae.

Our Franna cranes crisscross the country bearing the 'Pink Ribbon', which we hope raises awareness of breast cancer and encourages people to consider donating to a local cancer charity.

McConnell Dowell have been officially awarded the first tranche of Inland Rail’s Tottenham to Albury Package (T2A).

A contract to the value of approximately $200 million, Tranche 1 includes four rail enhancement sites located in central and northern Victoria as well as corridor wide signalling and track slew works. The project is due for completion by McConnell Dowell in early 2025.

McConnell Dowell’s success in securing the contract was largely due to a collaborative approach to working with ARTC’s Inland Rail team, as well as a vested interest in employing as many local people to the project alignment as possible. The T2A Tranche 1 contract is expected to support work for more than 170 people over the life of the project.

McConnell Dowell’s commitment to the safety of its people, innovative design to minimise disruption to ARTC customers and community, coupled with cooperative and transparent relationships will see the successful delivery of Tranche 1 for our client ARTC.

The enhancement site works at Glenrowan, Wangaratta, Barnawartha North and Seymour will include:

• Bridge replacements at Glenrowan, Wangaratta and Seymour;
• A new pedestrian underpass at Wangaratta;
• Track lowering; and
• Corridor wide scope including signalling works, track slews and overhead utilities works.

McConnell Dowell’s T2A Project Manager Tom Foley explained, “Tranche 1 of Inland Rail in Victoria will bring tens of millions of dollars of new investment into Victorian towns such as Wangaratta, Glenrowan, Seymour and Barnawartha, and McConnell Dowell is extremely proud to have a part to play in this.”

“This project will create fresh opportunities for existing businesses, while supporting the establishment and growth of new businesses.”

“Our team has worked night and day with the ARTC Inland Rail team over the past two years to make this vision a reality, we are very much looking forward to getting boots on the ground and building infrastructure that will change the way that freight moves around Australia for our future generations.”

To read more about this project, please click here Tottenham to Albury - Inland Rail (artc.com.au)

If you are a subcontractor or supplier interested in getting involved on this project, please register through Inland Rail - Tottenham to Albury - Phase 1 - Tranche 1 (icn.org.au)

Aroha, the Corban Reserve Stormwater Upgrade Project’s micro-tunnel boring machine (mTBM), has steadily begun her tunnelling journey in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland).

The name, meaning love and affection, was chosen by the pupils of Henderson South School after site engineers Tom and Sarup talked to them about the project and suggested they help come up with a name for our mTBM.

Aroha is expected to complete her 685-metre tunnelling journey before Christmas, and within that three-month period, 235 precast pipes will be laid using pipe-jacking methods from Border Road Reserve to 18 Imperial Place. The team are busy at the Imperial Place site preparing the inlet shaft to receive the mTBM at the end of its journey. While tunnelling is underway, a separate civil construction team are re-scaping Murillo Reserve, extending the children’s play facilities and installing boardwalks for the local community.

Once the project is completed in mid-2023, the new pipeline will reduce flooding in the area, increase capacity within the network to allow for future growth, and protect and enhance both Opanuku and Upper Waitaro streams. It will also prevent landfill gases and leachate entering the stormwater network, making it safer to maintain.