Managing the Environment
Aim
To protect and enhance the natural environmental and social values in all our activities.
Approach
Managing our operations to ensure that we have an informed, committed workforce guided by policies and systems that recognise that what we do has potential to negatively impact on the State’s unique environment.
Key Performance Indicators
| Target | Actual | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % Environmental Management System compliance audits completed | 100 | 100 |  |
| % State-wide clearing permit (CPS 818 and 817) audits completed | 100 | 100 | |
| Scope 1 and 2 Emissions (t CO2) | 29,891 | 26,571 | |
Key Achievements
- Improved Environmental Policy released.
- Six projects greater than $100 million registered for Infrastructure Sustainability Assessment.
- Revised Environmental Incident reporting and investigation process deployed.
- Environmental Management System recommended for re-certification under ISO 14001:2015.
- In an Australian first all traffic signals now operate with LED displays.
Introduction
Our Unique Environment
As managers of the State road network we have a responsibility to protect Western Australia’s unique environmental values that may be affected by our operations. Our State is widely recognised as having unique and special flora and fauna species. This is demonstrated by the significant number of International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species located within the road reserve. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is recognised as a comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of flora and fauna species.
| Number of IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with Habitats Located in the Main Roads WA Road Reserve | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IUCN Classification | Flora | Fauna | Total |
| Critically Endangered | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| Endangered | 44 | 16 | 60 |
| Vulnerable | 35 | 23 | 58 |
| Near Threatened | 528 | 26 | 554 |
| Total | 621 | 69 | 690 |
Refer to appendix for data source and classification methodology.
Our road network also transects sensitive and protected environmental areas such as; wetlands of international importance (Ramsar wetlands); threatened and priority ecological communities; environmentally sensitive areas; Department of Parks and Wildlife managed areas; remnant areas of poorly represented native vegetation; Bush Forever Sites and habitat for three protected black cockatoo species; Baudin’s Black Cockatoo, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo and the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. To view maps of these environmentally sensitive and protected areas in relation to our roads please refer to our website.
How we stay on track and accountable
We manage our operations using a systematic approach where all our activities are screened for potential environmental impacts. Environmental impacts are the consequences of implementing an action and can include the positive or negative changes to the physical (i.e. land, water and air), biological (i.e. flora and fauna), cultural (i.e. Aboriginal and European heritage and culture), socio-economic and human-health values of our environment.
Activities that are considered to have minimal or negligible risk of causing a negative environmental impact are not subject to further investigations and are implemented using standard management measures. Activities that do have the potential to cause a negative environmental impact are investigated in further detail through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Their recommendations are incorporated into an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which is tailored to the proposed actions and the environmental values at risk.
We operate on a hierarchy of avoid, minimise, reduce and offset our environmental impacts. This is achieved primarily through changes in scope and design, and the development and implementation of an EMP and an Offset Proposal. The EMP outlines the conditions under which the actions will be undertaken to ensure that impacts are avoided, minimised and reduced as much as possible. An Offset Proposal is developed for actions that are likely to have significant residual environmental impacts that cannot be avoided. Offset Proposals outline the off-site actions that will be implemented in order to provide an overall environmental benefit to counterbalance the negative environmental consequences of the action.
We work closely with the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy (DotEE), the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the Western Australian Department of Environment Regulation (DER) and the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) to identify suitable environmental offsets. Offsets that are approved by DotEE can be identified in the action’s approval conditions which are available on their website. Offsets that are approved by the EPA, DER or DPaW are advertised on the Government of Western Australia Environmental Offsets Register.
Where the environmental impacts are likely to be significant we refer our projects to the relevant regulators for assessment. The regulator will make a decision whether or not to assess the project. Where the regulator does not assess the project, it is implemented in accordance with the relevant EMP and Offset Proposal if required. Where the regulator does assess the project, it is subject to a comprehensive EIA and may be open to extensive public and community consultation. We do not implement those projects assessed by the regulators until they are approved and the relevant conditions have been met.
Aboriginal Heritage
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of Western Australia’s lands and aim to protect Aboriginal cultural values. We seek to achieve full compliance with statutory requirements and have developed an Aboriginal heritage process ensuring compliance with Western Australia’s Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. We also work closely with other agencies ensuring strong and consistent Aboriginal heritage processes are established and followed.
We aim to avoid and minimise impacts to Aboriginal heritage sites in all of our activities. This is achieved through our early Aboriginal Heritage Risk Assessments that was developed in compliance with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs Due Diligence Guidelines.
Key Achievements
New Environmental Policy
Our new policy supports environmental protection, impact minimisation, conservation of natural resources and commitment to enhanced environmental performance. The environmental policy was revised in May 2016 and is available on our website.
Environmental Management System
We appointed a full-time Environmental Management System co-ordinator and sought certification under the new ISO 14001:2015 standard on Environmental Management. Key changes between the ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14001:2015 standards are a greater requirement for senior management to be involved in environmental management within the organisation, and a focus on continual improvement. In May 2016, we successfully achieved recertification for a further three years and we have been recommended for re-certification to the 14001:2015 standard.
Audits play a key role in ensuring that we stay on track and accountable. This year we completed 100 per cent of our planned Environmental Management System and state-wide clearing permit (CPS 818 and 817) audits.
Environment Online System
We have developed an online system for the management of approvals, reporting and compliance. This new system will result in improved efficiencies in record management, on-site monitoring and regulatory reporting. Following final testing it will be deployed prior to the end of 2016.
Environmental Management of Road Projects
This year we screened 357 projects for potential environmental impacts and escalated 235 of these projects for further investigations by Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This is the highest number of screening and EIA’s completed over the past four years and coincided with significant changes in DotEE, EPA and DER processes including the Bilateral Agreement for Environmental Assessments (Assessment Bilateral) between the Commonwealth and Western Australian Government. The following table presents the number and assessment level of road projects in the past three years.
| Level of Environmental Assessment | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of road projects subjected to environmental screening | 164 | 182 | 357 |
| Number of road projects for which environmental impact assessment was conducted | 97 | 87 | 235 |
| Number of road projects referred for possible assessment under State or Commonwealth legislation | 13 | 18 | 16 |
| Number of road projects assessed under State or Commonwealth legislation | 2 | 4 | 5 |
Data is based on calendar year.
Clearing, Revegetation and Offsets
One of our identified environmental impacts is the removal of native vegetation. Given the nature of our business, it is not always possible to avoid clearing native vegetation and after seeking to minimise and reduce our impact, we then seek to offset our impacts. Our methods to offset impacts to clearing native vegetation are primarily achieved in one of three ways and may include one or a combination of the following:
- rehabilitating and revegetating degraded landscapes to provide a positive environmental outcome
- the acquisition and addition of land to the conservation estate
- the provision of funds to the Western Australian Offset Fund for the acquisition and addition of land to the conservation estate.
We work closely with the Department of Parks and Wildlife to protect and manage areas of habitat. In 2015 we revegetated 176 hectares of land, of which 67 hectares was revegetated as biodiversity offset. The table below demonstrates our approach and outlines our clearing, revegetation and offset activities over the past three years.
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearing (ha) | 469 | 536 | 424 | |
| Total revegetation (ha) | 425 | 297 | 176 | |
| Offset | ||||
| Revegetation (ha) | (a) | 86 | 73 | 67 |
| Land acquisition (ha) | (b) | 2,498 | 74 | None settled |
| (Value of land acquired ($)) | (18,840,775) | (370,119) | ||
| Financial contribution ($) | 0 | 1,232,634 | 971,848 | |
| (Area of land to be acquired using the financial contribution (ha)) | (c) | (0) | (334) | (216) |
| Total offset (ha) | (a+b+c) | 2,584 | 480 | 283 |
Data is based on the calendar year Note that total revegetation area includes both offset and non-offset revegetation.
Aboriginal Heritage Sites and Road Projects
This year we screened 388 projects for potential impacts to Aboriginal Heritage sites. Where it is not possible to avoid site impacts we seek consent from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs under Section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. The following table presents the numbers of road projects screened via Aboriginal Heritage Risk Assessments and the number of Section 18 Applications submitted for the past two years.
| Level of Assessment | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal Heritage Risk Assessments | 318 | 388 |
| Section 18 Applications Submitted* | 0 | 12 |
Data is based on calendar year.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
Our Environmental Incident reporting and investigation process was changed to reflect the risk classification process adopted across the Transport Portfolio agencies. Replacing the previous three categories are five categories of incident: catastrophic, major, moderate, minor and insignificant. .
In 2015 there were two major and four moderate incidents. Of these, three related to clearing without an approval. Other incidents included damage to rare flora, a 150 litre diesel fuel spill and non-conformance with the Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement process. There were no penalties or financial sanctions relating to these incidents, which are being addressed through compliance improvement actions. Seven incidents classified as either moderate or major were caused by third parties, with the majority of these incidents relating to spills of contaminating materials primarily from vehicle collisions and accidents.
| Incidents | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Significant Incidents | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 3rd Party Incidents | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Data is based on calendar year. Minor and insignificant incidents have not been reported. Incidents include incidents caused by contractors and subcontractors doing work under our control.
Sustainability Assessment in Projects and Operation
We have adopted the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating tool for our highest value major projects. All infrastructure projects valued in excess of $20 million will use the IS framework as part of development and evaluation. Those projects valued at more than $100 million will undergo formal independent assessment and review. This system is Australia’s only comprehensive rating system evaluating sustainability across design, construction and operation.
Stand-alone public sustainability reports are produced for our high-value projects with IS obligations. This year Gateway WA, Muchea - Wubin Integrated Project Services, Mitchell Freeway Extension and Tonkin Grade Separation submitted public Sustainability Reports.
Currently six projects are registered for an IS rating with one other undergoing a Pilot Assessment. During the year Gateway WA achieved an Excellent ‘As Built’ Rating.
| Project | Current Rating Phase | Target Rating Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| GNH Muchea - Wubin | Design | Commended | In progress |
| Gateway WA | Complete | Excellent | Verified Excellent |
| NorthLink WA - Tonkin Grade Separations | TGS - Design | Excellent | In progress |
| NorthLink Stage 2 | Design | Excellent | Not yet started |
| Mitchell Freeway Extension | Design | Commended | In progress |
| Operations and Maintenance Pilot | Operation | Commended | In progress |
| Perth Freight Link | Planned | Planned | Planned |
Carbon Reduction Plan - Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Our assets, including roads and buildings are subject to the effects of climate change and need to be adapted to ensure they are available for the community in years to come. The way we do business potentially contributes to climate issues requiring us to consider more sustainable ways of managing and operating. We have implemented a Carbon Reduction Plan and Target (5-15 per cent reduction of 2010 levels by 2020) focussed on Scope One and Two emissions and have been progressing actions from our Climate Change Adaptation Plan since 2011. We have identified more than 50 kilometres of State roads requiring more detailed evaluation arising from the potential impacts of climate change. The indicative replacement value of this at risk infrastructure is in the order of $108 million. Details of our initiatives and achievements in reducing emissions and energy consumption are found on our website under the Climate Change section.
Energy Usage and Greenhouse Gas
| Energy Type | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity Usage (MJ) | 113,991,430 | 102,319,321 | 112,676,588 |
| Fuel and Gas Usage (MJ) | 47,708,108 | 47,823,922 | 44,555,099 |
| Scope 1 or 2 and 3 | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| GHG Type (t CO2) | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| Fuel | 3,345 | 3,339 | 2,833 |
| Street and traffic lights | 21,830 | 17,773 | 18,759 |
| Buildings | 4,561 | 5,109 | 4,978 |
| Air Travel | 318 | 255 | 263 |
| Maintenance fuel use | 9,038 | 9,803 | 8,405 |
| Offsets | -4,501 | -1,663 | -2,879 |
| Total | 34,591 | 34,616 | 32,359 |
| Scope 1 or 2 and 3 | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| HG Category (t CO2) | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| Scope 1 | 3,209 | 3,202 | 3,000 |
| Scope 2 | 24,065 | 21,583 | 23,571 |
| Sub Total | 27,274 | 24,785 | 26,571 |
| Scope 3 | 11,819 | 12,037 | 11,073 |
| Offsets | -4,501 | -1,663 | -2,879 |
| Total | 25,553 | 23,122 | 23,692 |
*Note: Maintenance fuel usage and air travel are Scope 3 emissions
Emission levels are on target to achieve our 2020 goal. A total for our Scope One and Two emissions was not to exceed 29,891 t CO2 which was achieved with our calculated emission levels of 26,571 t CO2. The ongoing positive result is due to initiatives in our Carbon Reduction Plan and the continued roll out of LED traffic signal lighting on the road network. Future carbon emission reduction efforts will focus on street lighting. Please visit our website for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission ratios.
Materials for Road Building
Our main objective in resource conservation is to minimise the environmental impacts of materials used in road construction. We encourage our project partners to recycle and reuse materials and use recycled and ‘environmentally labelled’ materials in all their activities. Specifications and design guidelines have a focus on optimising durability and longevity of road construction materials to minimise replacement frequency, which also has benefits in reducing traffic disruption.
When obtaining road building materials we endeavour to avoid clearing natural vegetation, particularly high value vegetation. On-site materials unsuitable for use in road construction is used, as appropriate, for rehabilitating areas where road building materials have been obtained. We conduct research into the durability and longevity of materials and the use of waste materials such as recycled construction and demolition waste in construction practice.
Materials Extracted
| Indicator | 2014 (000) | 2015* (000) | 2016 (000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imported road construction materials | |||
| Sand (t) | 881.2 | 276.3 | 354.0 |
| Gravel (t) | 1,187.3 | 761.9 | 1,506.8 |
| Crushed rock (t) | 75.8 | 316.4 | 409.5 |
| Limestone (t) | 25.1 | 119.5 | 142.0 |
| Aggregate (t) | 23.0 | 29.4 | 72.9 |
| Asphalt (t) | 59.0 | 202.7 | 5,750.2* |
| Other (t) | 4,015.6 | 453.8 | 915.3 |
| Kerbing, barriers, bridges and culverts Concrete (t) | 22,162 (m3) | 53.1 | 1,064.8 |
| Other (000s t) | 14.5 | 21 | 7.4 |
2014 data is based on calendar year. *Figures have been restated from the last report
| Resources Recycled Indicator | 2014 (000) | 2015 (000) | 2016 (000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waste materials to landfill (to waste) | |||
| Kerbing (m) | 11,884 | 0 | 1,097 |
| Pavement/footpath (m2) | 5,887 | 138 | 2,426 |
| Existing seal (m2) | 109,514 | 57,490 | 3,464 |
| Unsuitable material (m3) | 12,686 | 26,008 | 15,808 |
| Other (m3) | 1,928 | 22,199 | 3,675 |
| Materials Recycled | (000) | (000) | (000) |
| Rehabilitation Purposes (t) – unsuitable material | No Data | 15.0 | 8.7 |
| Sand (t) | No Data | 474.2* | 19.24 |
| Road Base (t) | No Data | 1.6 | 6.4 |
| Asphalt/Profiling (t) | No Data | 11.0 | 23.0 |
| Steel (t) | No Data | 0 | 0.2 |
| Concrete (t) | No Data | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| Office Waste (t) | No Data | 0 | 1.6 |
| Other (t) | No Data | 0 | 96.97 |
| Total (000s t) | 140.7 | 503.3 | 156.5 |
2014 data is based on calendar year. *Figures have been restated from the last report
Water
Water is a precious resource and our State continues to experience the effects of a drying climate. To make sure we do our part in conserving water we encourage practices that reduce our impact on water sources including improving water efficiency and overall water use, utilising recycled water and avoiding the use of potable water. By prioritising the use of non-potable water over scheme water during construction we aim to ease the burden of water scarcity within the communities we work in. The following shows our Water Use figures over the last three years.
| Type | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings (kl) | 39,092* | 32,840* | 32,851 |
| Construction Scheme (kl) | NA | 9,071** | 176,954 |
| Construction Groundwater (kl) | NA | 66,797.6** | 13,720.6 |
| Surface water or recycled water (kl) | 0 | 15,240** | 251.3 |
*Figures for Buildings 2014 & 2015 have been restated
**Note: a new reporting regime has been initiated for our projects. Some projects have been unable to report during this period
Property Management
The construction of the new Northam Regional Office is well underway and will demonstrate our commitment in achieving 5 Star Green Star Office V3 rating, 4.5 Star Energy Base Building rating and 4 Star Water rating. Features of this building include solar and ventilation passive design, double glazed panels, high roof and wall insulation performance, blinds to control and direct solar gain, solar hot water systems, water and energy efficient fixtures and fittings, LED lighting with occupancy and daylight sensors and a 30KW PV array system. Ceiling fans and temperature sensors will be used to minimise the use of mechanical heating and cooling. The landscaping around the building incorporates xeriscape and water-wise principles and addresses the site’s solar and prevailing wind properties.
The refurbishment of Don Aitken Centre Level 3, 4 and 6 includes the installation of energy efficient LED lighting that will reduce the operational cost and environmental impact of the building. Level 4 is complete and occupied, with Level 3 being 90 per cent complete. Level 6 will be completed in the next financial year.
Refurbishments have also been designed at the South Hedland and Narrogin offices for implementation during 2016-17. These projects will see the installation of LED lighting and more efficient air conditioning systems. Solar panels have been fitted to 5 of our regional staff houses to maximise the amount of clean energy used. A feasibility study has commenced to explore the opportunity for the installation of a PV array system at the Narrogin office and Materials Engineering Branch Laboratory facilities.
Our Property Management is working closely with our Environment Branch to implement improved systems and to ensure the responsible environmental management of our vacant land portfolio.
Looking Ahead
- Review Dieback management with the Department of Parks and Wildlife, the Centre for Phytophthora Science and Management at Murdoch University and ArborCarbon to look at determining if it can be effectively removed from a road base material.
- We are working closely with the Departments of Premier and Cabinet, Planning, Environment Regulation and the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority to deliver key outcomes of the Green Growth Plan as we look at impacts of 3.5 million Perth and Peel.
- We will continue to ensure environmental management is addressed in the new contracts for the maintenance of our road asset through the development of Regional Environmental Management Plans, development and revision of operating guidelines and input into the direct management and Alliance Contracting procedures.
Case Study: LED Upgrades to Traffic Signals
In an Australian first, all of Western Australia’s traffic signals now operate with LED displays, following a six-year conversion program. The first set of traffic lights in Western Australia was installed at the West Perth subway in December 1953 closely followed by another four sets on William Street. Some 60 years later we have completed upgrades to the almost 1,000 sets of traffic signals throughout Western Australia.
These upgrades saw sustainable, cost effective and environmentally friendly LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs replace the existing krypton traffic signal lanterns. The signals at the intersection of Albany Highway, Hillview Terrace and Oats Street was the last site on the Electrical Services LED upgrade program, which coincidently were upgraded in December 2015, 62 years after the first traffic lights were installed.
The shift toward LED lanterns provides our customers the following benefits:
- brighter displays with LED visible in all circumstances, even in full direct sunlight
- improved efficiency with high luminous output, excellent viewing and readability
- increased safety with more visible and more reliable displays
- environmentally friendly with a reduced carbon footprint. Benefits also take us closer to our sustainable transport network goal, through:
- substantial savings, with a 75 per cent reduction in power consumption estimated
- approximately $6 million saved over 10 years in operation and maintenance costs
- greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 49.9 per cent
- significant reductions in materials sent to landfill
- CO2 emissions reduced by more than 22,000 tonnes across 10 years
- maintenance contact hours reduced by 3,000 per year.