With such an expansive network,
we are committed to respecting the
communities and environments in which
we operate. This includes meeting our
environmental and planning legislative
obligations as well as being aware of the
impact we can have on our neighbours
and our surroundings.
This year, we’ve adopted a number of
new practices and improved existing
ones to better manage our environmental
risk and minimise our impact on our local
surroundings and the community.
Each year we support causes within
our local communities and take pride in
generating employment opportunities in
regional areas through our investment in
the nation’s rail network.
Community and environmental benefits
are also being realised from growing our
freight rail capacity. Fewer trucks mean
fewer emissions and a safer journey for
you on our highways and roads.
Highlights for the year include:
•
•
Improving our due diligence process
for Environmental Impact Assessments
through the roll out of Task Based
Environmental Impact Assessments
(TBEIAs). The new TBEIAs provide an
effective and consistent process for the
assessment of environmental impacts.
Across the company over 200 staff have
undertaken training in the new process.
•
•
We increased the number of site
inspections by 65 percent from the
previous reporting year to support
project managers and team managers
in identifying opportunities for
improvement in the field.
•
•
Increasing support services to teams
in the field by reviewing annual
maintenance plans, targeted site
inspections and delivering tool box talks
on key environmental risks.
•
•
Undertaking air and noise quality
monitoring programs to research and
improve management practices in
conjunction with industry.
•
•
Delivering environmental training,
including Erosion and Sediment
Control, across the network to improve
environmental performance.
•
•
Making significant progress on our trial
Hunter Valley Rail Noise Abatement
Program (RNAP) including testing
a comprehensive selection and
prioritisation process and delivering noise
mitigation at two locations.
•
•
Implementing a new system for capturing
feedback from the community to enable
prompt and accurate responses to issues
of interest and concern.
•
•
Supporting community rail safety
advocacy and education by engaging
school aged kids with rail safety topics at
AgQuip – NSW’s largest agricultural fair,
promoting Rail Safety Week, developing
rail safety guidelines for photographers
and filmmakers and participating in a
range of industry rail safety initiatives.
•
•
Enabling better community outcomes
across the regions we operate in by
supporting causes such as Hunter Valley
Men’s Crisis Support, the Castlereagh All
Blacks indigenous rugby league team, the
annual Junee Rhythm ‘n’ Rail Festival,
Operation Cyclone – the Hunter Valley
and lower North Coast floods benefit as
well as other local charities and events.
COMMUNITY &
ENVIRONMENT
30
