ACT welcomes sustainable asphalt facility

081/11

Today I joined with the Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann MP to open a new environmentally sustainable asphalt manufacturing facility at Hume.

It is the first time a major road surfacing facility with state-of-the art manufacturing techniques, has been built in the ACT.

The $17.6 million facility was built and will be operated by Downer Australia, who is a major player in road surfacing in the ACT and southern NSW.

Climate change is the biggest challenge we face. That’s why finding new and environmentally sustainable ways of manufacturing is vital especially in the lower carbon economy of the future.

Downer’s technology includes warm-mix manufacturing rather than hot-mix, which means the asphalt is created at lower temperatures, reducing risks to workers and using less energy. The process also allows roads to be resurfaced more quickly.

Additionally, it is pleasing to see the innovative technology that is being used by Downer to recycle old asphalt into the mix – at least 30 per cent is reusable – another win for the environment.

The facility will recycle its grey water and roads to the site have been constructed to separate heavy traffic from other vehicles.

Construction is a major contributor to the ACT economy. Around 300 workers were employed in the construction stage of this facility, and into the future the facility will have a permanent workforce of about 50, with additional contractors employed in its road surfacing operations across the ACT and southern NSW.

I want to congratulate Downer Australia for bringing such an environmentally-conscious and sustainable operation into the ACT after many years on the old Queanbeyan site.