Country: Australia
Key Area: Other Infrastructure
Services: Civil Engineering

Arundel Industrial Park is a newly completed 20.3ha industrial subdivision located at Arundel on the Gold Coast. The site consists of 24 lots, ranging from 1,452 sq m up to 14,181 sq m. Opus was the principal consultant for the project. The scope of works included the sourcing and coordination of other specialist consultants, and the provision of all civil engineering services. This included a stormwater management plan, stormwater quality management, bulk earthworks, roadworks & drainage, water reticulation, sewerage reticulation, and upgrades to the adjacent section of the Gold Coast Highway.


The $6 million project met a number of key objectives. As principal consultants, Opus:

• worked in partnership with the local authority to provide an Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) to meet and exceed local residents’ needs and expectations;
•  improved stormwater quality discharged from the site, using best practice engineering solutions;
• followed the Client’s stringent guidelines to provide a development that would exceed standard practice without negative impacts on local residents and businesses.

The quality and quantity of stormwater generated by the subdivision was a major concern, as the Coombabah Waterway is in close proximity downstream. In conjunction with the environmental consultant, a water quality testing procedure was developed. Water quality was monitored pre, during, and post-construction. Swales and retention basins were used for stormwater collection, drainage and quality control, and this was both a successful and a unique solution to the challenges presented. Extensive landscaping was also incorporated on the project. Opus arranged for the cleaning up and re-vegetation of previously neglected sections of the site. Waste was cleared, and native species re-planted.


During routine inspections an itinerant population of Koalas was observed near the site, and in partnership with the Gold Coast City Council, Opus put measures in place to ensure the safety of the wildlife. It was resolved which area of land would provide an effective fauna pathway, and how best to separate the pathway from the development to keep the Koalas and other local wildlife safe. Some artefacts of cultural heritage importance were also discovered on site. Working in conjunction with the Gold Coast Cultural Heritage Group, solutions were achieved whereby the artefacts were considered in the design and construction of the project, and were protected from harm.


The project was successfully completed in 2007, and our efforts in the principal consultant role saw considerable praise from the Client.