The Golden Gecko Awards, hosted by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP), recognise innovation, leadership and performance of environmental management in WA’s resources sector and related services.

DMP Minister Norman Moore presented the award to ATCO Gas Australia President Brian Hahn and KD.1 Pty Ltd Principal Consultant Jodi Gratton in September 2011.

“WA’s resources industry continues to be the envy of our competitors,” said Mr Moore. “To ensure the state continues to be an attractive destination for resources investment, government and industry must work together towards responsible resources development.

“The Golden Gecko is an outstanding opportunity to recognise those leading the industry in innovative environmental practices.”

Article continues below…

The Mandurah Gas Lateral Project provides security of gas supply to the expanding areas of Rockingham and Mandurah.

The pipeline consists of 7.05 km of 200 mm diameter Class 600 pipeline from the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline to a pressure reduction station (PRS), and 9.65 km of 250 mm diameter Class 150 pipeline from the PRS connecting to the sub-network.

The project was executed with an extremely high level of environmental conservation and management. This was demonstrated through the avoidance and minimisation of environmental impact, with 40 per cent less native vegetation being cleared than approved levels allow, and with no loss of habitat trees.

During the project, ATCO and KD.1 demonstrated how planning, stakeholder and landholder consultation, and on-the-ground commitment to environmental protection and management can result in ‘beyond compliance’ practice.

The pipeline was aligned to comply with the WA utility providers guide for gas distribution mains, which depicts alignment within road reserves. In some sections it was constructed beneath existing footpaths to minimise vegetation clearing, disturbance of Aboriginal heritage and other environmental impacts.

In areas of congested infrastructure, appropriate alignments were determined during the construction phase to enable reasonable access to all services and infrastructure, and to minimise any environmental and social impact.

The project encountered standard pipeline construction environmental challenges, including the management of vegetation, fauna, weeds and disease, a watercourse crossing, heritage, and landholder and stakeholder engagement.

Additional environmental management challenges included:

  • Inferred threatened ecological communities;
  • Conservation and resource enhancement-category wetlands;
  • Environmental protection policy lakes;
  • The Nambeelup Brook Reserve and the Serpentine River;
  • Priority flora species and declared rare flora (DRF); and,
  • Urban areas.

The challenges were met by implementing modifications to both the standard pipeline design and construction techniques, including the use of a narrow construction right-of-way (8 m in vegetated areas), multiple horizontal directional drills under infrastructure and environmentally sensitive areas, and mulching of vegetation.

Modified trenching and lowering techniques were utilised to work from atop the spoil, established cleared areas were used where possible, and foraging habitat areas were re-seeded following construction.

The project minimised the total clearing to only 58 per cent of the total allowed through the Native Vegetation Clearing Permit. This was achieved through preservation of DRF and Carnaby Black Cockatoo habitat in a Department of Environment and Conservation vested offset area. This complemented a general minimisation of disturbance of native vegetation. The result demonstrates a well-planned, managed and implemented project.

The ATCO Gas Australia management team, including General Manager, Commercial and Business Development Justin Scotchbrook and Chief Operating Officer Pat Donovan, supported the project’s approach and continue to see the benefits of the project in the operational phase. The KD.1 personnel involved in the project included David Gratton as Project Manager, Jodi Gratton as Lands, Health, Safety and Environment and Approvals Co-ordinator, and Alex Aitken, Malcolm Smallacombe and Lynton Symington as Lands and Environment Officers.