Waterways & Coastal

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Our waterways and coastal capability is an integral part of GHD’s services. We were involved in the water industry when the company started in 1928 and the skills of our staff have continued to grow as the company has expanded and diversified.

Today, GHD has one of Australia's largest groups of dedicated water management professionals. We can provide technical support for the study and management of all forms of waterways, including rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas.

GHD’s Waterways & Coastal service line covers background and baseline studies, strategic and planning studies, and impact assessments. We can work with you on all stages of the feasibility and design process through to the supervision of construction projects with respect to waterways and developments affecting waterways.

We focus on the interactions between the natural, built and social environments. Our work stretches globally and in a variety of markets, including the urban, industrial, mining, agricultural, rural and environmental sectors. GHD services cover stormwater and flood management, wetlands and waterways design and management, coastal and estuarine processes, water quality and catchment management. And we can advise on water resources, climate change and drought management.

For further information, contact:

Robin Connolly
Tel: 61 8 6222 8222
Email: Robin Connolly

Alaskan Way Viaduct & Seawall

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GHD has provided utility coordination and relocation design services throughout the two-mile long Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor in Seattle, Washington.

GHD is responsible for data quality review for all utility mapping throughout the corridor, performing research of the City of Seattle’s GIS and other utility records dating back to 1900, resolving discrepancies, performing field checks, and integrating survey data.

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Macquarie Marshes & Gwydir Wetlands

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GHD was engaged by the Central West (CW) and Border Rivers-Gwydir (BRG) catchment management authorities (CMAs) to study the distribution and management of Lippia in the Macquarie Marshes & Gwydir Wetlands.

Our work increased the CMAs' understanding of Lippia (Phyla Canescens) throughout the area, including the rate of spread, outbreak triggers and control measure successes.

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Murray River wetland rehabilitation

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Known as the Wetland Rehabilitation Project – Reinstating Wetting and Drying Regimes, this is one of the first projects of its type in Australia. The Lower Murray-Darling Catchment Management Authority engaged GHD to investigate, design and implement rehabilitation works to restore flood flows and fish passage to approximately 700ha of wetlands.

The team investigated wetland ecosystems to identify environmental values, then used this information to propose works and complementary land management activities aimed at achieving specific rehabilitation objectives for each wetland. The process involved flora, fauna and aquatic assessments, grazing pressure and land management assessments, indigenous cultural heritage assessments, and hydrologic-hydraulic simulation of proposed water regime options.

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Regulating Murray River Flows (Australia)

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Improving the environmental health of the Murray River is a concern for all Australians. The Murray Darling Basin Authority regulates the river system. It offered to pay landholders affected by the release of water from storages.

GHD worked with the Murray Darling Basin Authority, the community and technical experts to identify the impact of released water on floodplain properties, to develop consistent assessment principles and to register the impact on title via easements.

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Seaglider Innovation - a commercial success

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GHD has begun using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUD), called a Seaglider, in what is believed to be the world’s first commercial application of this advanced technology.

The instrument, which previously has been used mainly by oceanographic research institutions, offers offshore operators a new, reliable and cost-effective way of collecting high quality spatial and temporal data for ocean and estuary environmental monitoring without the costly and sometimes dangerous use of ship time.

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Stephens Creek Reservoir Evaporation Cover

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Country Water was granted AUD$700,000 for the construction of an evaporation cover over the inner intake pond of the Stephens Creek Reservoir in Broken Hill, New South Wales.

GHD provided project management, contracts management, specification preparations for a design and construct contract, construction supervision and financial auditing.

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Washington Suburban Asset Management (Md, USA)

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The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) appointed GHD to lead the provision of asset management services in support of master planning and enterprise resource planning initiatives.

WSSC is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility in the USA, owning USD$12 billion of infrastructure assets. While instituting a range of short-term measures to combat the increasing incidence of water main breaks and leaks, WSSC is also taking a long-range strategic approach to address the growing challenge of ageing infrastructure.

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Water Allocation Planning – Mt Lofty Ranges

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GHD was engaged to assist the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation in South Australia develop water allocation plans for the Eastern and Western Mount Lofty Ranges Prescribed Water Resources. The project involved providing advice on water allocations to existing users and water trading rules for consideration in the Water Allocation Plan.

There were three project objectives:

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Water Plan for Wimmera Irrigation Upgrade Plan for Wimmera (Vic, Australia)

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GHD has been appointed by GWMWater to develop a modernisation plan for the Wimmera Irrigation Area in north-west Victoria.

The plan will consider the options available to increase the efficiency of the Wimmera’s irrigation system, taking into account issues such as climate change and the availability of water in the future.

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Water Systems

Robin Connolly

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Robin Connolly is a hydrologist with 20 years experience in surface water management in urban, rural, industrial and mining environments. He has worked across Australia and in India, Indonesia and Zimbabwe, and is experienced in dealing with mine and water issues in temperate, sub-tropical, tropical and arid climates.

He has experience contributing to environmental impact studies, addressing environmental, production and water supply issues related to surface water, and developing monitoring and management plans. Robin has worked on stream diversion, flood management and environmental and operational impact studies for several mines in the Pilbara, Western Australia. He has also been involved with the development of environmental management and monitoring systems and water management studies.

Robin has published a number of scientific and conference papers and prepared numerous consultancy reports.

Position: Service Line Leader, Waterways & Coastal
Tel: 61 8 6222 8222

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