Having originally priced the project in October 2019, Covid lockdowns delayed project commencement until June 2021. Since our first establishment in 2021, we have completed over 1,000,000m2 of hydro mulch and Soil Blanket, as we stabilized and revegetated dumpsites, cut batters, sediment ponds, fill sites, and various earthworks areas throughout the project.

Although we were able to access majority of areas with our 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 trucks, in the early stages to access certain areas we mobilized a Marooka tracked machine and mounted one of our smaller hydroseed units onto it. This meant we could still stabilize sites that were only accessible by tracked machine, which was extremely helpful to our client and showed our commitment to completing the project in full and on time.

In the peak of construction, we had up to 3 crews working across 6 different zones. Our record day onsite we completed 38,000m2. Having the capability of our large-scale equipment meant we could close out areas quickly and take advantage of the small fine weather windows.

Throughout the project we experienced some extreme weather conditions including snow, lightning, thunder and up to 200kph winds on some occasions. Working around these conditions was challenging and meant constantly keeping in contact with project managers onsite and keeping an alert eye on weather forecasts. Working through these conditions is a testament to the grit of our experienced and qualified team.  100mm rain events were not uncommon, being at an elevation between 700m and 1100m above sea level. Therefore, ensuring we achieved even coverage with our application rate of 2500kg/ha was important to avoid washouts and subsequent rework.

Working at such high elevation also meant soil temperatures dropped well below optimal, we countered this by adding winter active species to encourage grass strike. In some scenarios soil temperatures were below 6 degrees Celsius so we couldn’t achieve grass strike. In this case, the earthworks areas would be stabilized with the hydro mulch, then in spring once it warmed up the grass would germinate and come away then.

Being able to stabilize areas with the cannons on our trucks meant we could reach up to 100 meters horizontally and 45 meters vertically from the truck, without having to run hoses or have staff members working on uneven ground. For the large cuts, we were able to revegetate all of these with our cannons, whereas other hydroseed contractors would have needed knuckle booms or similar to access the top of these cuts.

Towards the latter end of the project we also had to run up to 200m of hose to access and revegetate areas only accessible on foot.

Using Our Soil Blanket we were able to revegetate near vertical cut faces on the main haul roads. Over 2 years after application, our erosion control seed blend is still growing in these harsh conditions.

Towards the end of the project, we engaged a subcontractor to cart water to us from the water source, further quickening the process and ensuring we completed our scope of works on time and on budget.

Working on a large scale project like this, we were constantly working around other contractors including heavy machinery, cranes, lifting rigs etc. Which we were able to do without any issues.

We also applied approximately 150,000 litres of Dust Loc. This was on the high traffic haul roads so they could use these without the need of constantly running water carts. This saved our client significant savings as they were able to keep their team in machines moving earth, rather than sitting in water carts keeping dust down. Just one application of Dust Loc would last up to 3 months without any further watering required.

As of June 2024, we have completed our works onsite however still have a small program of works to complete there in spring. This was one of our most challenging projects to work on and to date it is our single largest project we have completed.

We are proud to have been included in Hawkes Bay’s first windfarm and look forward to adding other similar projects to our portfolio across NZ as we transition to cleaner, greener energy resources.