Sinclair Knight Merz was commissioned by AusAid to undertake major airport upgrades at three airports in Papua New Guinea and maintenance works at a further 20. Part of the necessary planning involved the development of management plans for all quarries from which material would be sourced.
Examples of existing quarries were inspected at each upgrade site and the local ownership and leasing issues determined. As there are no specific management requirements within Papua New Guinea regarding quarries, Sinclair Knight Merz reviewed practices within Australia and evaluated their applicability to Papua New Guinea.
The resultant plans covered all phases of quarry operation from site selection through operation to closure. The plans included site planning and staging, removal and storage of overburden, protection of important vegetation, stormwater management, watertable management, noise, dust, traffic and site access issues as well as site sealing and revegetation. Traditional ownership and effects on access to traditional resources by local residents were issues that required particular attention.
The involvement of Sinclair Knight Merz in the quarry management plans brings the following benefits to your projects:
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experience in balancing the requirements of a functional work site with appropriate environmental management
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the ability to recognise and incorporate locally relevant issues
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an understanding of "whole-of-life" site management.