South Australia Road Network Maintenance – Outstanding Achievement

Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd (Downer), a leading road maintenance company, is responsible for maintaining Zones 1 (Metro) and 3 (North) of the South Australian Road Network and deliver a combination of Base Service, Minor Works, Annual Renewal Works and Minor capital works. Under this contract, we have been undertaking a 3-year Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) Operations Rating and despite being 2 years into the 3-year rating, the contract has already achieved an interim Commended Rating from ISC for the Operations Rating.

In alignment with Downer’s sustainability objectives of striving to achieve efficiency, waste reductions, and delivering sustainable solutions. Downer approached this rating with a focus on integrating sustainable management and procurement into the contract, while also aiming to perform its operations sustainably and build sustainability capabilities and awareness across its supply chain. This has supported Downer with achieving reductions in resource use, and improved circularity, but also allowing the supply chain to understand the benefits of implementing more sustainable business practices. By requiring subcontractors to register and complete sustainability training through the Supply Chain Sustainability School, rewarding sustainable practices, and undertaking performance monitoring, we strive to uphold and oversee our sustainability standards throughout the maintenance of the South Australian Road Network.

Downer has also enhanced its transparency and accountability through improved monitoring and modelling of resource use and waste management. This has allowed the contract to increase efforts to lower our reliance on virgin materials and fossil fuels while identifying opportunities to reduce resource usage and improve our diversion of waste associated with the maintenance works from landfill. In addition, the contract has developed and launched a Sub-Contractor Data Collection App to streamline data collection. The data collected enables informed decision-making and continuous improvement, to support our efforts to achieve our sustainability targets and mitigate our impact on the environment.

Downer have proudly demonstrated 11.2% of materials/products by value having an ISC-approved environmental label for the contract, including our asphalt products which have been verified under Environmental Product Declarations. Using these allows us to make better informed choices in our supply chain, selecting products with lower embodied carbon, and higher recycled material content. By embedding these products into contracts, Downer promoted the use of more sustainable materials throughout its operations, reducing the environmental impact of road maintenance activities.

Downer has also gathered and reviewed ecological information for the contract area and developed contract specific Spatial Ecological Mapping, which highlights the known ecological and culturally sensitive and significant sites along the road network using our Asset Management System (AMIS). This approach not only reduces the risk of impacting sensitive areas but also enhances awareness among the workforce about the presence and significance of these locations.

Multiple initiatives have been implemented, demonstrating that innovation drives our efficiency, resulting in improved and more efficiency work processes, reducing fuel consumption, reducing traffic disruption on high-speed roads and providing a safer work environment.

Downer strives to transforming road maintenance into a more sustainable operation, optimising environmental, social and economic outcomes. Implementing sustainability initiatives, strategies, and innovations has been one of the key focus areas of the contract, leading to several positive outcomes across its operations. These outcomes have been communicated to our client through monthly and annual road network maintenance reports, and shared internally through quarterly sustainability performance review meetings, newsletters and email updates.

Key sustainability objectives for our contract include:

• Reduce GHG emissions associated with the maintenance works.
• Divert waste associated with the Maintenance Works from landfill.
• Reduce virgin material usage associated with the Maintenance Works.
• Grow environmental, social and economic value within the supply chain for Maintenance Works.

Some of the most outstanding outcomes from year 2 ISC submission include:

 Achieving level 3 for the Environmentally Labelled Products (ELP) and Supply Chains (Mat-3) Credit with 11.2% of materials/products by value having an ISC-approved environmental label demonstrates our focus on using recycled materials in road construction and maintenance.

 Ecological Mapping along Road Network: Downer have developed and incorporated the proactive use of environmental mapping layers on our Asset Management Information System (AMIS) to identify areas of ecological and heritage value along the Road Network. By mapping these areas and making them digitally available for the contract team, Downer is able to confirm that appropriate controls are in place before commencement of any works that may impact such areas. This proactive approach helps in preserving biodiversity, protecting cultural heritage, and maintaining compliance with environmental regulations.

 Sustainable Procurement: Downer have incorporated sustainability objectives and targets in sub-contract agreements, promoting sustainability awareness across our supply chain. In addition, sustainability awareness training is required, and made available via Supply Chain Sustainability School to all subcontractors.
Regular monitoring and engagement are undertaken with subcontractors through sustainability questionnaires and monthly resource usage data reports, so that our sustainability standards are maintained and monitored during maintenance of the South Australian Road Network.

 Resource Usage Monitoring and reduction initiative implementation: Downer have closely monitored and modelled resource usage with the data collected enabling informed decision-making and continuous improvement, so that we meet our sustainability targets and reduce our impact on the environment. Examples include:

• Purchase and use of Hybrid (Petrol/electric) patrol trucks.
• Implementation of an electric pool vehicle.
• Combined function asset inspections, reducing time and energy needed to carry out inspection works.
• Opti-White line marking treatment on the Southern Expressway in 2022, resulting in a longer paint life, less frequent paint application, lower overall maintenance costs, and in turn lower disruption to the community for maintenance activities.
• Cyclical Routine Maintenance Services Sweeping & ITS Inspection Integration for a more efficient delivery in our services.
• Implementation of a new Road Rake, which improves efficiency, productivity, and safety in collecting large litter items from live roads.

Downer also strives to maximise resource efficiency and reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill.

 Water Use: Non-potable water constitutes 24.56% of all water use (constant and variable) on works completed on behalf of Downer for maintenance of the road network, reducing the use of potable water, a valuable and often limited resource in South Australia.

 Sustainability Initiatives Register: By creating an online Sustainability Initiatives Register, Downer have focused on promoting innovation and increase engagement of team members into sustainability commitments for the contract. Quarterly performance meetings cover the review of this register. Key implemented initiatives include:

• Road Rake – Improve the efficiency, productivity, and safety of work crews collecting litter items on Adelaide’s major high-speed roads. This improves efficiency of activities; reduces fuel and resource usage and reduces traffic disruption on high-speed roads.
• Mowing equipment – Improve mowing efficiency and inspection capability while lowering cost. It also allows the team to slash batters quicker, using less fuel, and mowing areas with a slope of up to 50 degrees without putting themselves at risk by using manned equipment on steep inclines.

Stakeholder Engagement: Downer aims to provide effective stakeholder engagement to so that the concerns and needs of key stakeholders during maintenance of the road network are considered and addressed, leading to improved relationships and collaboration. Negotiable issues and non-negotiable issues are identified and consulted with relevant stakeholders.

Downer’s Maintenance Services to the South Australian Road Networks aims to create safe, efficient and reliable journeys, and given our operations cover state roads, the beneficiaries of our operations consist of a wide range of stakeholders and communities.

Downer’s focus on sustainable procurement extends these benefits throughout its supply chain, including internal and external subcontractors. Downer aims to support local economies and create opportunities for local people and business. This has resulted in local employment and capability building with over 300 local South Australian suppliers utilised within the contract. In addition, the contract has focused on engagement with first nation businesses with over $5M spent with South Australian First Nation businesses.

In addition, by requiring subcontractors to complete sustainability training, Downer is aiming to foster a culture of environmental stewardship among its partners. This approach not only enhances the sustainability performance of subcontractors and suppliers but also drives innovation and collaboration across the supply chain, leading to improved operational efficiency and market competitiveness.

Through innovation, the contract has implemented practices that minimise disruptions and impacts to local road users. For example, innovative use of a newly designed Road Rake increased the efficiency of road sweeping activities, reducing road closures and traffic disruptions. This innovation has boosted the productivity of litter collection, allowing teams to collect in one shift the same amount of debris that they would typically collect in a week.

Other similar improvements that have reduced road disruptions for the local communities include:

• The use of more durable products such as higher-grade paint or alternate asphalt products, has resulted in reduced maintenance frequency.
• More efficient inspection practices resulting in a reduced amount of stoppages when inspecting roadways.
• Use of remote mowers on steep batters resulting in quicker mowing – also leading to reduced impacts on road users.

Local flora, fauna and other ecological values have also benefited through the integration of Ecological Mapping into project planning. This approach not only preserves biodiversity but also protects and conserve ecological and cultural values, benefiting both the environment and the communities that value these natural and cultural assets.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT), as the client, have also benefited from Downer’s improved sustainability practices, with the delivery of high-quality, environmentally responsible road maintenance services improving relationships with local road users and other stakeholders and attracts new business opportunities.

Downer is a supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and we recognise that, as on the of the leading road maintenance services providers in South Australia, we are well positioned to contribute towards achieving these goals and their related targets.

While Downers Maintenance contract is not yet complete, Downer’s methods in carrying out road maintenance activities across the state, should carry a legacy beyond the contract area, and life. The improvements and innovations made such as combined inspections, environmental mapping, and the road rake innovation, is likely to be transferred to Downers other maintenance contracts and eventually shared to wider industry, with the view that road maintenance activities can be undertaken in a more sustainable manner.

The improvements align and contribute to eight of the 17 UN SDGs being particularly pertinent to the services provided by Downer, as identified through a Group Level materiality assessment. These include:

• SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing: Downer’s efforts to create safer, more durable road surfaces that allow reduced traffic disruptions contribute to decreased traffic delays and possibly less accidents, enhancing public safety and well-being. In addition, the implementation of new maintenance equipment such as remote mowers and specially designed road rakes allows works to be completed in a aster manner, further reducing traffic disruptions.
• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: One of the commitments that Downer has established within our Sustainability Policy, is to support local employment and economies while maximising opportunities for local people and local business. This has resulted in the use of over 700 local South Australian suppliers and a spend of over $5M with South Australian First Nation businesses.
• SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Downer’s use of electric-powered tools, remote controlled mowers and advanced ecological mapping demonstrates a new benchmark for the industry. Downer’s integration of recycled materials within asphalt and the use of environmentally labelled asphalt products into road maintenance works demonstrates our commitment to ongoing innovation and improvement.
• SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: Downer’s efforts to minimise environmental impacts to preserve the ecological and cultural value along the road network through the use of digital ecological and heritage mapping, while improving safety of road users, has assisted in providing safer communities, resilient, and inclusive, thus contributing to a more sustainable future.
• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: By integrating ELP into its operations and promoting sustainable procurement, Downer has reduced the embodied carbon within materials. This approach not only conserves natural resources but also reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to more sustainable production and consumption patterns.
• SDG 13 – Climate Action: The integration of electric and hybrid vehicles and trucks, and electric tooling supports the contracts efforts to mitigate climate change impacts. Downer aims to deliver low-emission operations and maintenance services and support recycling and reuse of materials, promoting circular economy.
• SDG 15 – Life on Land: The careful planning and execution of maintenance activities to avoid habitats and species have preserved ecological values along road networks.
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Downer has built strong relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, and stakeholders to advance shared sustainability objectives. These enhance the positive impacts of Downer’s sustainability strategy, so that the benefits are widely shared and contribute to a more sustainable future.