Fulton Hogan

MICHAEL MARASPIN, Division Manager – Quarries of Fulton Hogan reports on the development and growth of the business.

AS one of the most significant stages of growing his Standard Roads construction business, owner, Ron Rado seized an opportunity to fill a gap he saw in the asphalt supply market. Ron realised that if he set up his own asphalt business, and supported it with his own quarry, he could economically and reliably supply his contracting business, whilst supplying product to the local market.

He believed that this would give him an edge over his competitors and he was right. It is this vertically integrated model that has seen Tynong Quarry succeed over the years and later caught the attention of Fulton Hogan, the quarry’s future owner.

Ron purchased land outside of the metro area in the small country town of Tynong, southeast of Melbourne. This location provided the quarry with an opportunity to support Melbourne’s growth as well as supplying the needs of the country areas in West Gippsland.

Michael Maraspin, manager of Fulton Hogan’s Victorian Quarries Division, explains, “As Ron Rado anticipated, the quarry’s location, allows us to supply Melbourne’s fast growing south-eastern urban expansion corridor and other satellite developments in the regional areas of Gippsland. Tynong’s location and capacity makes us a key supplier to the metropolitan market. What’s important to us is that we’ve still maintained our core family values as the business has expanded.”

Tynong quarry began operations in 1986 as part of Standard Roads. Utilising the vertically integrated business model, the quarry supplied aggregates to the company’s Dandenong asphalt plant and a ‘hand-full’ of local customers. As the quarry developed over the ensuing years, supply increased to several asphalt and concrete plants, road and infrastructure projects, while still maintaining its local customer base.

The quarry has supplied some of Melbourne’s largest infrastructure projects in the southeast over the last few years including the Pakenham Bypass, Wonthaggi Desalination Plant and Eastlink – supplying over 500,000 tonnes of asphalt aggregate for this project.

Fulton Hogan, one of New Zealand’s leading civil contractors, saw the potential in this vertically integrated business which aligned with its own values and company structure.

In 2002 Fulton Hogan acquired Standard Roads and with it the Tynong Quarry. Tynong then became an integral part of Fulton Hogan’s quarry business, supporting the company’s construction and surfacing arms along with its four other quarry sites throughout Australia; Tylden also in Victoria, Waterloo in South Australia, Blue Rock and Stonemaster in Queensland.

Tynong quarry produces and markets a variety of aggregates, road base products and landscaping and decorative stone. “Due to changing architectural trends we have seen a shift towards natural products such as granite aggregates which are incorporated into exposed aggregate concrete and polished concrete flooring for both commercial and residential developments,” says Michael. “We’ve seen a rise in demand for natural stone and ‘boutique’ decorative products over the past few years and expect this trend to continue.”

More than 15 million tonnes of rock has been extracted from Fulton Hogan’s Tynong Quarry during its 26 years of operation. The quarry was recently granted an extension to its extractive area that will see the creation of a new pit, more than twice the size of the current pit. This extension is expected to extend the life of the quarry by more than 20 years at current sales levels.

The first stage of the new pit development requires the removal and stockpiling of approximately 500,000m3 of overburden or waste from the pit. The overburden from the pit will be reused to create screening bunds and to landscape the area around the new pit. Any remaining overburden will be stockpiled for future rehabilitation use at the quarry.

The new pit, together with the planned upgrades to the crushing and screening plant, will see the quarry well equipped for the future. However, the quarry’s workforce remains the most vital ingredient for its ongoing success. Tynong quarry currently employs 20 full time staff working in production and operations, administration and management roles.

“Maintaining a well trained, safety conscious and motivated workforce is a key management responsibility. Focusing on continuous skills improvement, promoting a culture of safety over production and the recognition of achievement and dedication all contribute to a satisfied workforce,” says Michael.

“Our team have always aimed to get the balance right between our operations and our responsibilities to the environment and the local community. Over the years we’ve built a strong relationship with the Tynong community. Regular open and honest engagement is the key to this success.”

Five years ago additional planting was completed along the quarry boundary to provide further visual screening for the neighbours. In addition, a wetland environment was created on the land adjacent to the Tynong Quarry. This substantial area has not only created a safe haven for any local wildlife that would otherwise have been displaced, but has also created a path for stormwater flow that acts as a natural filtration process.

“At Fulton Hogan we are committed to protecting the local environment and communities in which we operate. It’s important for us to give back to the community that supports us”, says Michael. “We regularly sponsor local events and sporting teams in the area as the majority of the quarry team are from the local area. By supporting the community we are supporting our work mates.”

Tynong Quarry has provided quality products and services to all their customers since 1986 and the team is committed to continuing that tradition well into the future.

Fulton Hogan is also strengthening their relationship with industry and has just reached their first anniversary milestone as a member of the CMPA. Fulton Hogan looks forward to a long and active membership. By joining CMPA, Fulton Hogan recognises that the Association, supported by its members, has a critical role to play in the ongoing professional development of the extractive industry.

60 SECONDS WITH A VOTING MEMBER…

What is your name?
Glenn Jessup

Who do you work for?
Fulton Hogan

How many years have you worked for this business?
21 years at Tynong Quarry

How many years have you been involved in the Industry?
23 years (drilled for the first two)

What is your role at the company?
Operations Supervisor

What does your job involve?
Managing production, including: staff, machine allocation, pit development, and everything else that might come up on a day-to-day basis.

What is the best part of your job?
Watching the pit develop, seeing material pour off the belts and roll out the gate.

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