ENVIRONMENT

At HB we will be considering achieving ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) accreditation. In meeting this standard we will be able to measure our environmental impact and manage our resources more effectively in a continual process of planning, implementing, review and improvement.

Operating in a range of different environments, from our quarry and regional project sites, to commercial workshops and urban construction sites, we are always seeking new ways to minimise our impact on the surrounding environment.

Through a range of approaches we seek innovative ways to reduce our usage of, and thereby conserve, our energy and water, better our recycling practices and reduce waste across all of our divisions.

The commissioning of solar power generation at both our HB Concrete and HB Blocks production sites again shows the environmental responsibility of the group.

The continual work and upgrading of our approved Mine Management Plan particularly water and air monitoring is best practice and an industry leader.

Our two concrete plants in Winnellie and Yarrawonga have been specifically designed to capture and recycle water from the production process. This incorporates the use of settling pits, where water is collected and pumped back into the trucks for reuse.

The acquisition of a concrete recycling plant further complements this process by enabling the reclamation of aggregates and slurry water from waste concrete. The first in the NT.

Further waste management initiatives include the use of duct filter extraction at our concrete plant in Winnellie to limit cement dust during production and the collection of sediment from the bottom of our cement trucks enabling product recovery and reuse.

HB have taken measures to reduce traffic congestion and the environmental impact of transporting large vehicles and large quantities of product close to the city. Aggregates mined from the quarry are delivered by road-train and stock piled in HB Transport’s compound at the industrial area of 11 Mile. From here, aggregates are loaded onto a single trailer truck for delivery runs to the Mataram Street Plant in Winnellie.

In designing and applying sustainability practices to our production processes we acknowledge our social responsibility and understand that what is of benefit to the environment is of benefit to us.