Maloney Field Services also undertook a comprehensive upfront landholder liaison process, which explained the pipeline construction process, and obtained access agreement construction line list information and supply tapping point requirements from the landowners.

Approximately 2,100 individual landholders were affected by the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project (WMPP). At its peak, Maloney Field Services had a team of 15 land access consultants in the field, acquiring agreements for 8,800 km of water pipeline.

Maloney Field Services Director Jamahl Waddington said “The negotiation of these agreements took the best part of three years.”

The company’s role encompassed all aspects of land acquisition, including:

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  • Undertaking assessments of compensation;
  • Liaison and consultation with affected landholders and occupiers; and,
  • Preparation and registration of all easements and other land tenure, together with the preparation of a comprehensive Construction Line List document.

“We were first engaged for a 10-year project, which was then condensed to five years, then down to three years. Due to the crippling drought in the Wimmera Mallee region, timeframes were moved constantly, and essentially we were working on five different major projects at any one time,” said Mr Waddington.

“A project of this size and complexity showcases Maloney Field Services’ ability to co-ordinate large-scale land access programs anywhere in Australia. The WMPP stands as a testament to the company’s ability to work as part of a successful project team to deliver projects of all sizes,” he said.

A dedicated team of land access personnel, project managers and directors – backed by a skilled and experienced project support team, and Maloney Field Services property valuers – combined to deliver a complete land acquisition service for the WMPP.

40 years strong

Established in 1970, Maloney Field Services will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Over its 40 years, the company has grown to be a large specialist provider of land access services around Australia, particularly in the energy and resources sector.

The company’s headquarters remain in Adelaide, with a permanent presence also in Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane, Darwin, Gladstone and Roma.

Maloney Field Services undertake land and easement acquisition for water, gas and slurry pipelines, transmission powerlines, railways, wind farm and renewable energy projects, fibre optic projects and roads and expressways. Major clients include Santos, Origin Energy, BHP, AGL Energy and Epic Energy.