The Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 project has been awarded the 2024 Placemaking Award at the prestigious National Banksia Sustainability Awards.
CPB Contractors worked as part of Parramatta Connect – the project’s major infrastructure contractor on the project, and was thrilled to see the project recognised.
The win celebrates the project’s innovative approach to sustainability and resilience across all stages of development and construction.
CPB Contractors Project Director David Jackson explains that the delivery team embraced its Environment and Sustainability Policy and Strategy as early as possible in the planning phase.
“This really laid the foundations for all of the innovative solutions that followed and ensured that sustainability was integrated into all stages of work… from procurement and design to construction planning and delivery,” adds David.
Some of the innovative sustainability approaches implemented during the delivery of the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 project included:
- Construction of New South Wales’ first green track for a light rail project. The track features hardy, native and low-maintenance grass species suited to Parramatta’s climate.
- The use of Australia’s first encapsulating rubber rail boot system to reduce operational noise and vibration.
- 50% of ballasts, 60% of rail and 90% of sleepers on the project were reused, sourced from locally decommissioned rail lines.
- Creating and naming the project’s light rail assets in traditional Darug language in consultation with local Aboriginal parties (e.g., Bidgee Bidgee Bridge in Rosehill; Ngara and Yallamundi light rail stops).
- Achieving stand-out social outcomes that also exceeded their original targets, including:
- 55.6% of trade roles were apprentices (target was 20%)
- 41.2% of team members were learning workers (target was 20%)
- 5% of the workforce were women in non-traditional roles (target was 2%)
- 3.3% of the workforce were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (target was 2.4%)
- Aboriginal participation expenditure exceeded by $7 million
- Social enterprise expenditure of over $2 million
- A partnership with the City of Parramatta Council to plant more than 2500 trees by the time the Parramatta Light Rail opens, plus an extra 3000 trees across the Parramatta local government area.
- A 5.7km active transport link, a shared walking and bike path designed to enhance accessibility to local facilities and recreational spaces.
Supporting local businesses through free one-on-one business support, which was provided to more than 200 businesses during major construction. This contributed to the successful revitalisation of Parramatta's Church Street dining and entertainment precinct.
Located in Western Sydney, Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 features a 12-kilometre, two-way track connecting Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia. Services are expected to start mid this year.