GHD: Driving Sustainability in WA and Beyond

GHD is one of the world’s leading professional services companies operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Privately owned, GHD deliver engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services to public and private sector clients across five continents and the Pacific region. GHD were a founding member of ISCA, and are a deep-rooted supporter. GHD are gold partners for the 2019 Western Australia Conference. We caught up with the team at GHD to speak about their current projects, proud achievements, and the WA Conference:
Which projects are GHD currently working on, in WA and further afield?

In the sustainability space, GHD are currently assisting Main Roads WA on numerous planning and development phase projects, as well as the detailed design and construction of the Metropolitan Road Improvement Alliance projects. Beyond WA, GHD is assisting the Western Sydney Airport Co. throughout their planning and implementation of sustainability and Infrastructure Sustainability, as well as assisting the implementation of IS on the Northeast Link project.

What sustainability successes/ innovations are you most proud of?

Some success to mention include:

• Recycled Road base – GHD has been a part of the majority of Main Roads WA projects which have trialled this product, either in small sections, or as one of the primary road bases. We have been able to assist Main Roads WA in the technical and environmental considerations for the use of this product. Late last year it was pleasing to present a training course to the recycled road base manufacturers on how they can best manufacture their products to minimise environmental risks.

 

• Eric Singleton Wetland – GHD provided drainage design and environmental support to assist the City of Bayswater in the development of this new wetland. Through the drainage design process, we were able to maximise the length of water path flow, thereby enabling more time for sediments to drop out and improve water quality. The site had historical contamination issues, and GHD were able to assist the City in determining the most sustainable remediation method that suited the project and minimised waste to landfill.

Why did you partner with ISCA for the WA Conference?

The incorporation of sustainability principles within infrastructure projects has been recognised as important for a long time now, but it is just as important to follow this up with proactive actions to make sure this occurs, and measure the actual outcome. Partnering with ISCA makes sense, as the fastest way to improve sustainability outcomes is to have a wide understanding and knowledge base of sustainable ideas, projects and initiatives. GHD has recognised this from the start, given we were one of the founding members of ISCA (back when it was called AGIC) – partnering with ISCA for the WA Conference was a natural progression on this.

What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?

The Conference will provide a great opportunity to engaging with others in the industry and to see what’s going on outside of our key projects and industries. We are looking forward to hearing from others, and sharing our experiences to further educate the industry, and allow sustainability improvements to occur at a faster pace.

What next for GHD?

GHD is supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 by making them part of our strategy, culture and day-to-day operations. We recognise that the challenges facing our planet require innovative thinking and bold actions. Through our professional services, we continue to assist our clients respond to these challenges, and we’re excited by the opportunities for fresh thinking this presents.