A story of environment progress from Stonyfell
Stonyfell Quarry in South Australia sits high in the Adelaide Hills within a protected development area known as the Hills Face Zone. While we acquired the site in the 1980s, the site has operated as a Quarry since 1837 (check out some of the pictures we found from its early years).
The quarry is situated toward the top of the Second Creek catchment, with runoff discharging directly into the stormwater network, and ultimately into Second Creek via Ferguson Creek.
The quality of stormwater leaving our quarries is important to us and our community.
In 2017, a review of water quality at Stonyfell was completed. Boral identified several improvements that could be implemented and committed to complete the improvements in a staged approach.
Since 2017, our Environment and Stonyfell Quarry teams have been working on the staged implementation of these initiatives including
- The installation of a series of nine large, interconnected drains and basins, the drains capture the stormwater and send it to the large basins so that the sand and sediment can be controlled before the water is released into the stream. The basins slow the flow of stormwater and act as a natural filtration system, as the sand and sediment drop, before the water is sent to vegetated ponds, which further filter the water, before it flows off-site and into the creek network.
- The team also identified the areas of the Quarry that were at high-risk of stormwater run-off and redirecting them to the Quarry Pit.
- The innovative use of chemical flocculation at the end of treatment, to further define sediment and remove it, with additional controls put in place to safely manage this process.
Together these actions have led to a substantial improvement in water quality.
“We have worked hard to implement the recommendations from our earlier site reviews. With each change we have implemented we have gone back to test that the changes have had the intended effect” said Senior Environment Business Partner Peter Snell, who has led these works in conjunction with the Quarry leadership and specialist contractors.
Head of Environment Jenny Miller underscored the importance of this multi-year project. “Our Environment Absolutes clearly lay out Boral’s commitment to being mindful of our impact on the environment and communities.
“Our work at Stonyfell Quarry brings those principles to life. The site is living proof of our commitment. It’s about looking critically at our operations, and when something isn’t as good as it can or should be then taking the time and making the investments that will improve outcomes for both the community and the planet.”
