How our people are delivering industry-leading sustainability initiatives at rail sites across Australia and New Zealand

Local expertise, world-class solutions

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3 6 Driving towards decarbonisation

Tasmanian trailblazers

Paving the way at Queenstown Airport

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Issue 1 November 2019

2 Issue 1 November 2019

NEWS

Downer is one of the largest and most experienced providers of design, build and maintenance services to Australia’s renewable energy market. To date, we have delivered five solar and 14 wind farms that generate 2,350 MW of renewable energy, with a further 726 MW of solar and wind farms under construction.

That figure is set to grow, after Downer was awarded contracts worth approximately $165 million by Alinta Energy to build its 60 MW Chichester Solar Farm and supporting power infrastructure in the Pilbara region in the north of Western Australia.

The contracts are part of the Chichester Solar Gas Hybrid project, which will see the construction of a new solar photovoltaic generation facility at Fortescue Metals Group’s Chichester Hub iron ore operations. The project also includes approximately 60 kilometres of transmission line linking Fortescue’s Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak mining operations with Alinta Energy’s Newman gas-fired power station and 35 MW battery facility.

Work awarded includes the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the Chichester Solar Farm, approximately 60 kilometres of transmission line, two new substations and the upgrade of another.

Downer CEO, Grant Fenn, says the award is another endorsement of Downer’s experience and leadership in delivering renewable energy projects.

“We are looking forward to delivering the project in partnership with Alinta Energy and we are expecting an efficient integration of the solar farm and supporting power infrastructure into Alinta Energy’s existing network in the Pilbara,” Grant says.

Alinta Energy Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Dimery, says: “Working together, we are on the cusp of demonstrating that renewables can drive Australia’s economic powerhouses forward – even for remote and complex industrial applications.”

Chichester Solar Farm contract

This project demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goals: #7 Affordable and Clean Energy; #13 Climate Action

Reconophalt recognised with major awardDowner has been recognised by the Victorian Government and Sustainability Victoria in winning a Premier’s Sustainability Award.Downer won the award in the Large Business category for Reconophalt, our innovative asphalt product that contains high recycled content from materials such as soft plastics, glass, toner and reclaimed road.

“This award proves that with thought leadership in sustainability and partnerships with progressive and environmentally conscious governments, suppliers and customers, we can continue to set new benchmarks in recycling and repurposing waste materials into new streams of use. It’s all about pulling products, not pushing waste,” Downer’s Executive General Manager – Road Services, Dante Cremasco, says.

Downer built Australia’s first recycled road containing soft plastics and glass with Hume City Council in Victoria in May 2018, and has since built roads using recycled materials across Australia.

New name, new look!We’ve made some big changes to the old Enviro News.For starters, we’ve given it a name change. We’re rebranding it to Sustainability News, to better reflect the broad range of stories you’ll find inside. But wait, there’s more!

This issue of Sustainability News is also available in digital version. We have just launched the Sustainability News site, which you can find on the downergroup.com website under the ‘News and media’ section.

This will not only improve the accessibility and readability of the newsletter, it will also bring environmental benefits. With the launch of the online newsletters, we will reduce the amount of printed copies we produce and distribute, which will reduce the carbon footprint of each issue.

Check out the website

and let us know what you think!

This award demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goal: #12: Responsible Consumption and Production

ROADS

Sustainability News 3

NEWS

Our DM Roads team working on the North West Tasmania Road Maintenance contract are ticking off a number of firsts in the State. Working in partnership with the Department of State Growth Tasmania, they’re not only maintaining roads, they’re also blazing a trail for sustainable solutions in Tasmania.

It’s the first road contract in Tasmania to lay a bitumen sprayed seal modified with crumbed rubber sourced from waste tyres, first to use battery-powered equipment to reduce noise and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and first to obtain ISO 55001 Asset Management accreditation.

These solutions are improving the durability of Tasmanian roads and providing better experiences for the local community and road users. The initiatives have also led to another major first for a Tasmanian road project – an Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Operations rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA).

The IS rating scheme provides a framework around sustainability, and fosters a culture of efficiency and waste reduction.

Obtaining this IS rating achieves a key goal set by Downer in our 2019 Sustainability Report. It also demonstrates the economic, social and environmental benefits of the approach taken by DM Roads in partnership with our customers to deliver services that create shared value through employment opportunities for disadvantaged Australians and support the North West Tasmanian community.

Tasmanian trailblazers

This project demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goals: #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; #12 Responsible Consumption and Production; #13 Climate Action

DM Roads plays it smart

Beachgoers who frequent Rye on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula will benefit from the installation of more than 500 sensors to monitor 650 parking spaces, 20 bins and four barbecue facilities, and notify council workers when they need to be attended to.In September, our DM Roads business announced the exciting new partnership with the Mornington Peninsula Shire and RMIT to deliver the Rye Smart Cities trial.

The innovative trial will span 12 months, with the intention to expand to other beachside towns along the Mornington Peninsula.

DM Roads contributed $100,000 towards the project and additional specialist project management resources to ensure its success.

“This Smart Cities trial will transform the Rye Foreshore into a seamlessly connected smart city that will ease congestion and enable lives,” DM Roads’ Acting Victoria/Tasmania Delivery Manager, Chris Godsil, says.

This project demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goal: #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Setting the standard in sustainabilityDM Roads, our customer and supply partners are implementing a range of initiatives on the North West Tasmania Road Maintenance contract.

■ First contract in Tasmania to utilise battery-powered chainsaws, resulting in a 19 per cent reduction in noise, significant reduction in GHG emissions, and significant cost saving

■ First contract in Tasmania to utilise crumbed rubber, removing 668 tyres from waste piles and resulting in a five per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 880kg CO2-e

■ Delivered ISO 55001 asset management accreditation, which improves decision making using real time, specific and accurate data; reduces unnecessary maintenance; and implements whole-of-asset lifecycle considerations

■ Community-focused delivery model has created 33 full-time local jobs, including 28 people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

4 Issue 1 November 2019

HEALTH & SAFETY

Ian’s story: “The doctor shook his head and said, How are you still alive?”

Ian Fredericksen is standing beside his mountain bike on the foreshores of Lake Ontario in Toronto. He should be enjoying the scenery… but it’s hard to take in the view when you’re doubled over trying to catch your breath.Ian is 170kg – overweight and unhealthy. That’s when the epiphany hits him. He realises he needs to make a drastic change, before it is too late.

“About three-quarters of the way through the bike ride, I didn’t know if I was actually going to make it,” says Ian, a Zero Harm Superintendent with Downer’s Asset Services business.

“I felt breathless, I felt sick and I thought to myself, ‘There’s got to be changes – and they’ve got to be made now’.

“When I returned to Australia, I went to my GP. He told me to hop on the scales. I did, and he just shook his head and said, ‘How are you still alive?’

“I also had high blood pressure, I had sleep apnoea and I was borderline diabetic. I don’t know that I would’ve been around much longer if I left things the way they were.

“The doctor referred me straight to a Brisbane surgeon to have bariatric surgery.”

Ian knew he needed help to lose the weight. He had tried previously to lose it by himself and, after initial success, he encountered setbacks and complications.

On 19 November, Downer celebrated International Men’s Day, which raises awareness about men’s health and wellbeing. Ian shared his health journey to warn others of how easy it is to fall into dangerous cycles – and how hard it is to reverse them.

Ian learned the hard way… but fortunately he took action before it was too late. He had bariatric surgery two years ago, and has since lost 70kg – and continues to lose weight at a steady, sustainable rate.

The surgery helped him lose weight, and potentially saved his life. But surgery alone would have been useless without extreme lifestyle changes.

“People say, ‘You took the easy way out’. But it is no easy ride, let me tell you,” he says.

“I worked really hard with a dietitian and a psychologist. I had the completely wrong idea about food. I had to learn again. Food had become my crutch. It was an addiction. I used it to cope and if ever I was stressed I would turn to it. My mental health wasn’t good and I found coping mechanisms to get through each day. Some people turn to drugs, some people turn to alcohol. I turned to food. It’s a big thing to actually recognise that and understand that.

“Surgery was only half the solution. This surgery can be reversed and you’re right back to where you started if you don’t make the correct choices after the process.”

Ian has made those correct choices. He’s adopted healthy habits – and kicked the bad ones.

“Everyone loses weight at different speeds after the surgery,” he says. “For me, I lost a lot of weight really quickly, to the point where I started to look very different. It was quite interesting – people I’d worked with for years would walk straight past me without recognising me.

“But the support that I got from my work colleagues before, during and after the process has been fantastic. I’ve been able to lean on them for assistance and help when I needed it. I feel really honoured to be able to work with this team of people. They’re fantastic.”

Today, life is very different for Ian.

“I discovered I could do stuff I couldn’t do previously,” he says. “Things like doing up your shoes. Or getting out of bed – now I just get up and go, there’s no thinking about it, or thinking about how my feet hurt, or knees hurt.

“I feel like I have been given a second chance at life and I’m very grateful for that.

“The choices are mine to make now. You can’t go back, you can’t change the past. But you can change the future and you just keep striving to live the best life you can live. I feel awesome.”

Before

After

Sustainability News 5

HEALTH & SAFETY RAIL

There’s a lot riding on the trains and light rail cars Downer delivers and maintains. Each year, there are 520 million passenger journeys on our operated or maintained transport network.That’s over 1 million people every day who rely on us to get to their destination safely. To make their lives easier.

With so much riding on our rollingstock services, the reliability and sustainability of our operations is paramount.

Sustainability is embedded in everything we do – and is underpinned by the ‘local expertise, world-class solutions’ mantra.

We have over 100 years’ rail experience and a proven track record of our people at local sites across Australia and New Zealand delivering world-leading services and solutions.

One example is our data analytics platform TrainDNA – an industry-leading innovation launched by Downer this year, which captures data from trains and performs assessments to predict the remaining life of its components.

This solution enables Downer to make data- driven decisions to improve efficiencies in fleet maintenance, and delivers Zero Harm improvements as well as improving the everyday experience of our customers’ customer. It’s a world-class innovation, developed using Downer’s in-house expertise and a strategic partnership with Deakin University, and deployed on Sydney’s fleet of Waratah trains.

“This is a data analytics platform on steroids. Analysing such volumes of data will allow our

team to establish trends in relative real time, enabling us to proactively predict failures and calculate the remaining life of an asset more effectively,” Executive General Manager of Rollingstock Services, Tim Young, says.

“The advantage to our customers is that all of this takes place while the train is in service without interrupting the operation. At the same time, it enhances worker safety through the potential of removing high-risk inspections.

“These enhancements in Downer’s asset management capability will boost our ability to better predict failure rates and reduce unscheduled downtimes of the train fleet, resulting in enriched outcomes for our customers and our business.”

Another example of Downer combining local expertise with world-class solutions was the production of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the Waratah Series 2 train sets – the first for rollingstock in the Southern Hemisphere, and only the 22nd globally. The EPD provides the full carbon impact and performance of the trains across their 30-year lifecycle (and beyond) and was recognised in July when Downer won the Rail Sustainability Award at the Australasian Railway Association Awards.

Downer also delivers rail infrastructure services, and again we’re bringing global sustainability trends to local projects.

In New Zealand, Downer is helping to deliver a number of contracts for Auckland’s City Rail Link, the largest transport infrastructure project ever undertaken in the country.

City Rail Link is focused on delivering a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure in New Zealand, with a goal to build New Zealand’s largest transport project and leave behind a social and cultural legacy for Auckland.

Downer has led the way in this space by partnering with customer, City Rail Link Limited, to introduce the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) Rating Scheme to New Zealand.

“Sustainability is a cornerstone of the CRL project. It is vital we integrate sustainability into the design, construction and maintenance of the project assets. By using the talented people we have internally and by partnering with the right people externally, we will help to deliver a project that will set the benchmark for sustainable infrastructure in New Zealand,” Downer New Zealand’s EGM Infrastructure Projects John Burden says.

Local expertise, world-class solutions

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP

6 Issue 1 November 2019

Leading the sustainability conversation

Our New Zealand team enhanced its position as sustainability thought leaders with a series of special forums in September.These forums were a great chance to share sustainability insights and information with our customers, while also showcasing some of our industry-leading sustainability initiatives. The series kicked off in Wellington and Tauranga, before heading to Christchurch and Dunedin on the South Island.

It was a great example of how Downer is leading the sustainability conversation, with our speakers discussing everything from digital engineering, asset management and low carbon roads through to sustainable communities.

The sustainability series put an exclamation mark on what has been a big 2019 for New Zealand in the sustainability space.

In 2019, we celebrated our one-year anniversary as part of the Climate Leaders’ Coalition, formed a sustainability governance group, were the first in the country to deliver a project under the ISCA sustainability framework and rating system on the City Rail Link, delivered the first large scale trial of Plas Mix in New Plymouth… and the list goes on!

Paving the way for new sustainability innovations Last December, Downer partnered with our customers Queenstown Airport (QAC) to resurface 30,000sqm of aircraft parking area. It was a great opportunity to pave the way for new sustainability initiatives in airport resurfacing.The project was the first of its kind to use our innovative TonerPave™ product, a new low-carbon asphalt made from waste printer toner and recycled glass, and has been hailed one of New Zealand’s largest sustainability projects.

At the annual NZ Airports Association Conference awards night in October, Downer and QAC were honoured with the Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award.

“We sought a partner who would deliver a sustainable, innovative, operationally resilient solution and meet the airport’s stringent health, safety and security standards,” QAC’s General Manager of Operations and Safety, Mike Clay, says. “Once again, Downer proved to be a strong partner and the win is testimony to the foresight, innovation and hard-working team who delivered this complex project.

“Downer’s innovation and collaboration with other Kiwi organisations in pioneering a new generation lower carbon asphalt has proven to be a winner.”

Downer and QAC also made a concerted effort to engage the airport community and visitors, by creating opportunities for participation and feedback through an in-terminal experience where visitors could turn their ‘trash to treasure’. The interactive stand gave people the opportunity to donate beer bottles and toner cartridges and learn more about the project and benefits of TonerPave™. There was also a bottle crushing machine so people could put bottles in and watch them convert to sand.

This initiative demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goal: #17 Partnerships for the Goals

This award demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goals: #12 Responsible Consumption and Production; #13 Climate Action

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP WATER

Sustainability News 7

For 100 years, Spotless’ Taylors Laundry business has been keeping New Zealand clean.From dry cleaning, to laundering, to repairs and alterations – our team at Taylors has delivered for their customers since the early-1900s.

Today, Taylors is a very different business to the one that started in Christchurch in 1919. Processes have improved, technology has become more advanced. One big improvement, particularly in recent years, is Taylors’ sustainability initiatives.

As the largest commercial launderer by volume in New Zealand, Taylors is required to use a lot of water. Every week, approximately 310 tonnes of laundry is professionally cleaned at Taylors’ Point Chevalier facility in Auckland. Taylors also handles 100 tonnes of laundry a week at its Hamilton facility, and 30 tonnes per week in Nelson.

Rewind 10 years ago, and the Point Chevalier site was one of the biggest water users in Auckland. As a result, Taylors has implemented a range of water-saving initiatives.

“These days I doubt we’re even in the top 20. We’ve reduced our water usage by 40 or 50 per cent,” Taylors General Manager, David Phyn, says.

Another key initiative is the installation of a wastewater recycling system.

“Since installing the system, our process water (the water that goes through the washing machines) has reduced from 15 litres per kilogram of laundry to eight-to-nine litres per kilo,” Taylors’ Maintenance, Projects & Facilities Manager, Rod Gardner, says.

These aren’t the only clever water solutions that have been implemented recently by Spotless’ laundries businesses.

Dandenong’s dandy stormwater solutionSpillages are rare at our laundry sites.

But the Spotless team at Dandenong, Victoria, recently discovered a stormwater drain was in close proximity to the chemical loading point, so if a spill was to occur, there would be a risk chemicals could leak into the stormwater drain, and damage the environment.

Following an investigation, the team determined the best solution was to install a valve into the stormwater pit which is easily closed before suppliers arrive on site to unload chemicals used in laundry cleaning.

“You can go from having the valve open to closed within seconds,” Spotless’ State Engineering and Facilities Manager, Howard Vella, says.

“The stormwater drain is normally kept open to capture rain water, but when our suppliers’ truck arrives to load our chemicals, we close the valve over the drain. Lines have been painted on the ground to ensure the valve is always lined up correctly.

“Team members have been trained in how to open and close the valve, and we also have procedures in place where our suppliers are not allowed to do any work without a Spotless person being present, which adds another dimension of protection.

“We also installed a concrete bund, which will be able to store up to 10,000 litres in the case of a spillage. This allows for any spillage to be sucked clean without going anywhere near a stormwater drain before the drain can be re-opened.”

Spotless’ waterwise solutions

These initiatives demonstrate Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goal: #6 Clean Water and Sanitation

The new stormwater valve at Dandenong is simple to use, with clear instructions painted on the ground to ensure the valve is always lined up correctly.

8 Issue 1 November 2019

Have you got a story idea? Know how we can make Sustainability News better? Send your suggestions to: Communication@downergroup.com

Over 70kg of carbon (CO2) were neutralised using Bite Visual Communications Group for this project. www.bitevisual.com.au

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The newest additions to our Asset Services fleet are accelerating the drive towards a lower-emission and more sustainable future for Downer. Downer is committed to decarbonisation. We have set an ambitious long-term GHG emission reduction target that aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement – which is to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase by 1.5 per cent by the end of the century.

We have committed to the decarbonisation of our absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 45-50 per cent by 2035 from FY18 base year, and to being net zero in the second half of this century.

Achieving this goal will require a sustained, concerted effort – and we are taking steps across the business to reduce our carbon footprint.

Asset Services’ introduction of Hyundai IONIQ electric vehicles to its light fleet is just one example. The first two cars have been introduced in Western Australia, and will be used as pool cars at our Canning Vale and Perth offices. Another two electric vehicles will be used at our office in Hexham, NSW.

Downer’s Environment and Sustainability Manager, Matt Hunter, says the new vehicles have many environmental and economic benefits and are a step towards achieving our decarbonisation goals.

“The introduction of the new electric vehicles demonstrates our commitment to championing sustainable initiatives and contributing to Downer’s emission reduction targets,” Matt says.

“The electric vehicles provide lower operating and maintenance costs, produce little or no local air pollution, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

“By initially using the electric vehicles as pool cars, it provides many of our employees the opportunity to drive an electric car and understand the differences, and reduces the stigma associated with transitioning from traditional internal combustion engines. With a range of over 200 kilometres per charge, the vehicles are suitable for most of our activities and feedback on the vehicles’ performance has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Driving towards decarbonisation

Buggie business

Downer staff are utilising solar powered electric buggies around camp on Chevron’s Wheatstone and Gorgon facilities, where we deliver brownfield sustaining capital works and facilities maintenance contracts.

By reducing the dependency on combustion engine utes to get around camp for maintenance activities, the environmentally-friendly buggies have significantly reduced the use of diesel.

The buggies have solar panels that feed their batteries and can travel 25 kilometres each day. They rarely need charging and in one year, the CO2 emissions savings equates to the energy output of four homes.

“This initiative is the first step in our journey to improving our environmental sustainability performance across our Chevron account,” Downer’s FM Delivery Manager, Andrew Kingston, says.

“We look forward to delivering further innovation for Chevron.”

There are now 17 buggies across both sites – 10 on Wheatstone and seven on Gorgon.

This initiative demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goal: #13 Climate Action

This initiative demonstrates Downer’s contribution to achieve the following Sustainable Development Goal: #13 Climate Action