Sunshine Coast Council’s vision is to be Australia’s most sustainable region – Healthy. Smart. Creative. Paramount to this vision is the critical infrastructure that runs beneath the streets and supports the community’s daily activities.
Proactive inspection of its stormwater assets led Council to discover that a large concrete box culvert located at Amarina Avenue was reaching the end of its service life. Constructed in 1975, the culvert ran under a busy street, taking run-off from the Sunshine Motorway to the Mooloolaba Canal.
Failure of the culvert would not only present a significant risk to the physical safety of road users above but could cause major traffic disruption and potential outages to the telecommunications, electrical, and water services that also crossed the culvert.
Specialist in pipeline infrastructure, Interflow, was contacted to provide an innovative solution that would extend the culvert’s life for more than 50 years whilst ensuring the safety of road users and the environment downstream.
Sunshine Coast Council Division 4 Councillor Joe Natoli explained Council’s decision-making process when screening potential solutions.
“We have been challenged to find community-focused solutions that ‘deliver more for less’,” Cr Natoli said.
“We are committed to identifying the most effective and efficient stormwater solutions that address our current concerns, whilst also accounting for the growing and changing needs of future generations.”
Interflow’s Business Development Manager on the project, John Phillips, discusses the benefits of the company’s bespoke approach.
Aligned with its customer’s ambition of keeping community disruption to a minimum, Interflow proposed a custom-built, glass-reinforced (GRP) liner to renew the culvert.
“Eliminating the need for excavation meant that no trees or vegetation would need to be removed and the impact on commuters using the road above would be minimised. This is a huge win for the environment and the community,” he said.
In addition to the operational benefits, Interflow’s ‘trenchless’ solution offered a 25% cost-reduction on the cost of excavating and replacing the culvert, helping Council to achieve its goal of delivering more for less.
“This is the first GRP liner to be installed within the Sunshine Coast region, and Council has been very pleased with the results,” John mentioned.
“Residents can be rest assured that innovative stormwater solutions like these are stretching their tax-payer dollars even further.”
Councillor Natoli said that in order to make the most of innovative solutions such as the GRP liner, a proactive approach to asset management is essential.
“To maintain the amenity and liveability of our communities through optimum drainage, it is critical to have a sound stormwater asset management plan,” Cr Natoli said.
“Our stormwater team alongside Interflow specialists worked closely with our customers to achieve this result.
“Without routine inspection, it can be difficult for councils to prioritise their work and identify stormwater assets in the direst need of repair.
“Sunshine Coast Council is focused on Proactive Asset Management which acts as a form of insurance against unforeseen events, structural damage to roads and negative impacts to public safety.
“By working with our Delivery Partners and taking stock of the condition of our assets, we can select a plan that will have the greatest impact in keeping our communities running smoothly.”
