OPEC was invited to deploy to Melbourne to support the prosecution of the Defence Site Maribyrnong (DSM) – DSTO Precinct Project following the completion of the Columboola Munitions Destruction Project in August 2012. On the DSM project OPEC provided logistics and operational support to the primary contractor, Golder Associates and the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Centre (ECBC), a US Government Agency, to assess the buildings and grounds of the former DSTO area at Defence Site Maribyrnong for contamination by chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. The DSTO site covered approximately 10 hectares within the 127 hectare site.
OPEC participated heavily in the pre-deployment planning and strategy phase of the works and was active in the development of the Environment Management Plan, Safety Management Plan, Construction Management Plan, Site Plan and Medical Response Plan. Following project approval and commencement, OPEC established the operational capabilities on the site and provided a permanent on site team of 10-20 staff, depending on workload, to support ECBC in the prosecution of the works. Tasks included the establishment of extensive engineering controls around complete buildings, multi-storey height access and scaffolding, decontamination teams and equipment, medics, waste monitoring, analysis, segregation, storage and disposal, heavy plant operation, IT management, heritage safeguarding, grounds maintenance and overall site logistics.
The DSM Project illustrates an extremely unique, complex and multifaceted risk profile with potentially complex interactions between numerous project considerations including heritage and environmental protection, aged explosive and chemical warfare agent residues, adjoining public properties and multiple government and civilian agencies. It is within this complex environment that OPEC thrives and adds maximum value to our clients.
OPEC was an integral member of the on-site team since the early planning stage of the project and maintained a presence on the site in a caretaker role for two years after project completion.
