Revision Register

Specification 301

Clearing

Copyright MAIN ROADS Western Australia

MAIN ROADS Western Australia / Specification 301 Clearing / Page 1 of 24
Contract xxx/xx / Document 04/10098 Issue 26/08/2013

SPECIFICATION 301

CLEARING

REVISION REGISTER

Date / Clause
Number / Description of Revision / Authorised
By
26/08/2013 / 301.07.2
301.27.9
Guidance Notes / Engagement of environmental specialist
Amended
Amended / PDERS
14/06/2007 / 301.02 / “Health Pesticide Regulations 1956 added to ‘References’ / LA
301.07 / Amended
301.08 / New clause added
Annexure 301A / Table 301A.4 amended
Guidance Notes / Note 12 amended
01/08/2006 / Whole document / Complete revision of Issue 4.2 to new format / MCP

CONTENTS

ClausePage No

GENERAL

301.01SCOPE

301.02REFERENCES

301.03 – 301.05NOT USED

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS

301.06DIEBACK CONTROL

301.07WEED CONTROL

301.08EROSION CONTROL

301.09 – 301.25NOT USED

OPERATIONS

301.26LIMITS OF CLEARING

301.27CLEARING

301.28TREATMENT OF CLEARED VEGETATION

301.29CULVERTS, DRAINS AND LEVEES

301.30DEMOLITION

301.31DISPOSAL OF OTHER MATERIALS

301.32STOCKPILE SITES

301.33WASTE DISPOSAL SITES

301.34DAMAGE

301.35 – 301.80NOT USED

AS BUILT AND HANDOVER requirements

301.81 – 301.90NOT USED

CONTRACT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

301.91 – 301.99not used

ANNEXURE 301A

CLEARING REQUIREMENTS FOR VEGETATION

ANNEXURE 301B DEMOLITION REQUIREMENTS

ANNEXURE 301C PRINCIPAL’S STOCKPILE LOCATIONS

ANNEXURE 301D PRINCIPAL’S spoil site LOCATIONS

MAIN ROADS Western Australia / Specification 301 Clearing / Page 1 of 24
Contract xxx/xx / Document 04/10098 Issue 26/08/2013

SPECIFICATION 301

CLEARING

GENERAL
301.01SCOPE
1.The work under this specification consists of clearing, demolition and the management of site vegetation required to undertake the work under the Contract.
301.02REFERENCES
1.Australian Standards, MAIN ROADS Western Australia Standards and MAIN ROADS Western Australia Test Methods are referred to in abbreviated form (e.g. AS 1234, MRS 67-08-43 or WA 123). For convenience, the full titles are given below:
Acts and Regulations
Environmental Protection (Clearing of Native Vegetation) Regs 2004
Environmental Protection Act 1986
Health Pesticide Regulations 2011
Australian Standards
AS4373Pruning of Amenity Trees
Main Roads Specifications
Specification 100GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Specification 201QUALITY SYSTEMS
Specification 202TRAFFIC
Specification 204ENVIRONMENT
Specification 302EARTHWORKS
Specification 303PITS AND QUARRIES
Specification 304REVEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING
Specification 803DISMANTLING & DEMOLITION
301.03 – 301.05NOT USED
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS
301.06DIEBACK CONTROL
1.Clearing operations shall be undertaken in accordance with the procedures for dieback control as specified in Specification 204 ENVIRONMENT. / Dieback Control
301.07WEED CONTROL
1.Clearing operations shall be undertaken to meet the requirements for weed control as specified in Specification 204 ENVIRONMENT. / Weed Control
2. The Contractor shall prepare,submit to the Superintendent for approvaland implement a weed control program to satisfy the weed control requirements as nominated in Annexure 301A.4prior to undertaking any other works. Any proposed changes to the timing and sequence of weed control operations shall be confirmed with the Superintendent. Advice on appropriate herbicide use should be sought from an environmental specialist working in that area. An Environmental Specialist is a person who is engaged by the permit holder for the purpose of providing environmental advice, who holds a tertiary qualification in environmental science or equivalent, and has experience relevant to the type of environmental advice that an environmental specialist is required to provide under the Clearing Permit. / Weed Control Program
3.The Contractor shall identify and tag all areas within the limits of clearing containing weeds in accordance with the Weed Control Program for the Superintendent’s inspection and approval. The Superintendent may require additional areas for removal to be included that were not identified by the Contractor. / Areas of Nominated Weeds
4.The Contractor shall avoid spreading weeds during the clearing operations and shall remove all weeds (as nominated in the Weed Control Program) from the ground surface as a separate operation, including disposal to an authorised waste disposal site, prior to the clearing operation.
5. All persons engaged in spraying herbicides on site shall have a current Pesticide Operator’s licence in accordance with the Health Pesticide Regulations 2011. The Contractor shall forward a copy of all Pesticide Operator licences to the Superintendent. / Operator’s Licence
301.08EROSION CONTROL
1.Clearing operations shall be undertaken to meet the requirements for erosion and sedimentation control as specified in Specification 204 ENVIRONMENT. / Erosion Control
301.09 – 301.25NOT USED
OPERATIONS
301.26LIMITS OF CLEARING
301.26.01GENERAL
1.The limits of clearing, as nominated in the drawings or Table 301A.1 shall be in accordance with the definition of designated and other areas required to undertake works under the Contract and shall be pegged on site for the Superintendent’s inspection prior to the submission for a clearing Hold Point release. / Limits of Clearing
2.Clearing of vegetation shall not exceed the limits of clearing and mature trees especially, shall be conserved as far as practicable, and shall not be disturbed for such temporary works as sidetracks, access tracks, temporary storage areas, campsites, spoil areas or site offices. / Minimum Clearing
3.The Contractor shall take all precautions necessary to prevent damage to all vegetation within the limits of clearing tagged to be retained and protected. No clearing or disturbance of topsoil shall occur within the canopy of this vegetation. Vehicles and equipment shall not be parked or driven over tree roots. If necessary, the Contractor shall install fence palings or other protective measures, around the trunks of trees tagged for retention to prevent damage. Protective measures shall be confirmed with the Superintendent prior to any clearing operations. / Protection of Retained Vegetation
4.The Contractor shall take all precautions necessary to prevent damage to all existing services within the limits of clearing. Clearing within 3 metres of any service or the distance nominated by the service provider shall be carried out so that the service is not affected by the removal of the vegetation. If necessary, the Contractor shall use only hand held equipment and install protective measures to prevent damage. Proposed work proceses and protective measures shall be confirmed with the Superintendent prior to any clearing operations. / Protection of Existing Services.
301.26.02DESIGNATED AREAS
1.The designated area for clearing along the road alignment for the Works shall be the minimum required to accommodate the earthworks, as shown in the Drawings. / Designated Areas
2.Unless otherwise shown on the Drawings the clearing allowance for stockpiling topsoil in windrows parallel to the road alignment shall not exceed two (2) metres beyond the limit of the earthworks. / Clearing Width
301.26.03OTHER AREAS
1.The clearing of temporary storage areas, campsites, water supply points, site offices and similar work areas in the Site shall be approved by the Superintendent. The clearing of any other areas outside the Site shall be in accordance with Specification 100 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS(ENTRY TO LAND). / Other Areas
2.Clearing of temporary access tracks for the Works shall be carried out as necessary to provide a maximum cleared width as defined in Specification 202 TRAFFIC. Where necessary hand pruning of tree branches in accordance with AS 4373 shall be undertaken to obtain the required width. / Sidetracks and Access tracks
3.Drains, levees and guide banks shall be cleared to a distance of no more than one (1) metre beyond edge of earthworks. / Drains & Levees
4.Clearing for borrow pits, access tracks to borrow pits, pavement material pits and similar features shall be undertaken in accordance with Specification 303 PITS AND QUARRIES. / Borrow Pits
5.The Contractor shall obtain written approval from the Superintendent prior to undertaking any clearing or pruning of overhanging branches along any existing roads or tracks outside designated or other areas. / Pruning
301.27CLEARING
1.Clearing shall include but not be limited to;
a)the felling, cutting and removal of all trees standing or fallen;
b)the removal of all brush, shrubs, grasses and other vegetation;
c)the removal of rubbish and debris;
d)the removal of surface boulders and boulders dislodged during vegetation removal; and
e)the grubbing out of all stumps and roots larger than 80mm diameter or with any dimension greater than 300mm to a depth of 300mm below either the existing surface or the finished subgrade surface, whichever is the lower.
2.The Contractor shall identify and tag the vegetation required for transplanting as nominated in the Drawings or in Table 301A.2. The lifting and temporary storage of the nominated vegetation shall be carried out in accordance with the Specification 304 REVEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING prior to the main clearing operations. / Transplanting of Vegetation
3.The Contractor shall identify and tag and take all necessary precautions to protect all declared rare flora and nominated vegetation to be retained within the limits of clearing, as nominated in Table 301A.3. / Protection of Vegetation
4.Depressions caused by grubbing out tree roots and stumps, in cleared areas with no topsoil removal, shall be promptly backfilled with clean fill and compacted to the density and surface levels of the surrounding undisturbed ground. / Filling of Grub Holes
5.All pruning operations of any vegetation for hazard reduction and or selective thinning of branches shall be undertaken in accordance with AS 4373. / Pruning of Vegetation
6.Branches protruding into the cleared area shall be neatly pruned by hand back close to the bole of the tree or main branches to minimise the disturbance to vegetation growing outside the limits of clearing. / Protruding Branches
7Machines used for pushing and heaping operations shall be fitted with root rakes or similar equipment and operated in a manner such that as little soil as possible is removed and heaped with the cleared vegetative material. / Equipment
8.Trees to be removed shall be felled in such a manner that they fall within the limits of clearing. / Tree Felling
9.Prior to the commencement of any clearing operations the Contractor shallcertify for the Superintendent’s verification and approval that: / HOLD POINT
a) The limits of clearing are correctly pegged on site, in accordance with the environmental approvals.
b) The locations of existing features to be demolished are correctly tagged on site.
c) Trees and other vegetation identified for transplanting are clearly tagged on site.
d) All nominated vegetation to be retained and protected is clearly tagged.
e) Protective measures are in place for retained vegetation and declared rare flora.
f) Areas of nominated weeds are identified and tagged on site.
g) The stockpile locations for cleared vegetation, rubble or debris are identified and pegged on site.
h) The location of culverts has been verified in accordance with Specification 404 CULVERTS.
i) Environmental controls are in place in accordance with Specification 204 ENVIRONMENT.
j) The locations of authorised waste disposal sites are confirmed and the list of sites is included in the HOLD POINT submission.
k) The proposed Clearing shall be undertaken in accordance with the conditions detailed in the Clearing Permit or Exemption.
301.28TREATMENT OF CLEARED VEGETATION
1.Burning of cleared vegetative materials or burning within the road reserve shall not be permitted under any circumstances. / Fire Ban
2.Timber species within the limits of clearing and identified for milling shall be felled and trimmed of branches in accordance with Timber milling industry standards and practice and the trunks stacked in neat manageable stockpiles in approved locations. / Millable Timber
3.All tree trunks nominated for salvage as fauna habitat logs, shall be cut into transportable logs not less than 3.4 metres in length and stockpiled clear of any construction areas for later placement in accordance with Specification 304 REVEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING. / Large Tree Trunks
.All remaining timber that is not required for milling or use as fauna habitat logs and not nominated for disposal offsite shall be cut or split to a size to facilitate chipping or incorporation into the existing topsoil as specified. / Other Timber
5.Cleared vegetation as nominated in the Drawings or Annexure 301A to be incorporated into the existing topsoil shall be rolled, mown, slashed or chipped in-situ as specified and dropped to ground. / Inclusion of Cleared Vegetation with Topsoil
6.Unless specified otherwise, the mixing of cleared vegetation into the existing topsoil shall occur during the topsoil operations and prior to the removal and stockpiling, in accordance with Specification 302 EARTHWORKS.
7.Vegetation as nominated in the Drawings or Annexure 301A to be cleared and stockpiled shall be stacked in neat manageable stockpiles at approved locations and carted to the final stockpile location within 2 days after clearing. / Removal and Cartage of Cleared Vegetation
8.Stockpiling operations shall occur in a manner to ensure that the properties of the cleared vegetation are not degraded and made unsuitable for use in the revegetation works.
9.Stockpiles of vegetation shall be free from stones, soil, rubbish, and other materials, and shall not be contaminated with matter toxic to plant growth. / Stockpiling of Cleared Vegetation
10.Cleared vegetation as nominated in the Drawings or Annexure 301A for chipping into organic mulch material shall be reduced to an average grade size of between 15mm - 50mm, with no individual pieces greater than 100mm.
11.Chipping of cleared vegetation shall be undertaken within 7 days of the vegetation being cleared to avoid excessive drying out of the vegetation and loss of seed stock. / Chipping of Cleared Vegetation
12.Stockpiles of chipped vegetation shall be placed and managed in accordance with FIGURE 301C.01 TYPICAL CROSS SECTION FOR STOCKPILES OF CHIPPED VEGETATION in Annexure 301C.2. / Stockpiling of Chipped Vegetation
13.The Contractor shall maintain the vegetation stockpile sites weed free for the duration of the stockpiling period. The Contractor shall treat all weed infestation of the vegetation stockpiles as many times as necessary to control weed species. Weed control shall be in accordance with Specification 304 REVEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING. / Weed Control of Vegetation Stockpile Sites.
14.All vegetation as nominated in the Drawings or Annexure 301A for disposal or not required for dropping to ground, stockpiling and or chipping shall be cleared and disposed of in the nominated spoil sites or other authorised waste disposal sites / Disposal of Unwanted Vegetation
301.29CULVERTS, DRAINS AND LEVEES
1. Prior to any clearing operations associated with culverts, drains and levees, the Contractor shall peg the extents of the clearing required for the Works for the Superintendent’s verification and approval. / HOLD POINT
301.30DEMOLITION
1.Existing features shall be demolished either to the extent as shown on the drawings or as otherwise detailed in Table 301B.1. Demolition work includes the removal of existing non-vegetative material such as but not limited to, drainage structures, kerbing, pipes, the removal of rubbish, site debris, and the like. During the demolition care shall be taken so as not to damage surrounding works and existing retained structures. Any such damage shall be made good by the Contractor, at no cost to the Principal. / Demolition Work
2.Demolition or dismantling of existing bridges and associated highway structures shall be undertaken in accordance with Specification 803 DISMANTLING & DEMOLITION. / Existing Bridges
301.31DISPOSAL OF OTHER MATERIALS
1.All debris and material resulting from the demolition or other clearing that has not been identified for use in the Works shall be disposed off-site to authorised waste disposal sites. / Disposal of Debris
301.32STOCKPILE SITES
1.The Contractor shall prepare sites for the stockpile of vegetation or any other materials at the Principal’s nominated stockpile locations as nominated in the Drawings or in Table 301C.1. / Stockpile Locations
2.The Contractor may nominate alternative stockpile sites to be developed at no cost to the Principal, subject to the Superintendent’s approval that the site complies with these specifications. / Alternative Stockpile Sites
3.Stockpile sites shall be located away from drainage lines and shall be positioned to allow for ease of transport of materials at any time.
4Stockpile sites for the storage of chipped vegetation shall be prepared and managed in accordance with FIGURE 301C.01 TYPICAL CROSS SECTION FOR STOCKPILES OF CHIPPED VEGETATION in Annexure 301C. / Management of Chipped Vegetation Stockpiles
5.Stockpiles shall not impinge on driver's sight lines or affect road safety.
6.Stockpile sites shall be rehabilitated in accordance with Specification 302 EARTHWORKS.
301.33WASTE DISPOSAL SITES
1.The Contractor shall only use authorised waste disposal sites meeting the requirements of current WA state regulations and or local government bylaws and shall supply to the Superintendent the location and evidence confirming these authorised sites prior to use. / Waste Disposal Sites
2.The Principal’s nominated onsite and off-site spoil sites are listed in Annexure 301D. / Principals Nominated Spoil Sites
3. The Contractor may nominate alternative spoil sites, subject to the Superintendent’s approval that the site complies with these specifications.
301.34DAMAGE
1.The Contractor shall take all precautions necessary to prevent damage to any property and vegetation identified for retention and/or transplanting within the limits of clearing and for all property and vegetation outside the limits of clearing.
2.Any damage that occurs shall constitute a non-conformance in accordance with Specification 201 QUALITY SYSTEMS and the Contractor shall advise the Superintendent within 24 hours of the damage occurring detailing the extent of the damage, the affected stakeholders and the proposed corrective and preventive action.
3.Any damage caused by the Contractor to vegetation, landforms, or fauna habitat shall be rehabilitated by the Contractor at no cost to the Principal.
4.Rehabilitation work shall be carried out under the direction of an approved professionally qualified environmental consultant engaged by the Contractor. Alternatively, an environmental officer may be engaged by the Principal to direct the work and all costs associated with this provision shall become a debt due from the Contractor to the Principal. / Environmental Adviser
5.The work shall involve whatever tasks are required or recommended by the environmental adviser in order that the damaged areas may be restored to pre-existing condition within the shortest possible time. Examples of particular tasks may include deep ripping or hand scarifying and raking of wheel tracks and compacted soil, reinstatement of rocks or stones, planting of seeds or seedlings together with subsequent nurturing, repairs to foliage or root systems of trees and shrubs, reinstatement of fauna habitat, and whatever other works as may be deemed necessary by the environmental adviser. / Reinstatement
6.In the event that an incident involving environmental damage is identified, the Principal shall withhold payment of monies due to the Contractor on the basis of a performance undertaking. The amount of performance undertaking shall be determined as follows:- / Performance Undertaking
a)For damaged trees greater than 3m in height, $1 000.00 each. / Scale of Damages
b)For damaged trees and shrubs up to 3m in height, $500.00 each.
c)For damaged grassland (including spinifex), open soil areas, rock faces and landforms, and habitat in general, $10.00 per square metre. In the case of vehicle wheel track damage, the area shall be calculated as the product of the distance of the path travelled and the width of the vehicle.
7.The minimum undertaking applicable to any particular occurrence of damage shall be $5,000.00. / Minimum Damages
8.In the event that the Contractor: / Failure to Rehabilitate
a)does not undertake or partially completes or fails to complete rehabilitation measures within a reasonable time period, or
b)cannot achieve a sufficient degree of rehabilitation to provide a comparable environment to that which existed immediately prior to the damage occurring,
the Superintendent shall arrange for outstanding work to be completed by others and all costs associated with this provision shall become a debt due from the Contractor to the Principal
9.Damage to private property, public services and similar facilities shall be rectified by the Contractor to the owner’s requirements at no cost to the Principal. / Property and Services
301.35 – 301.80NOT USED
AS BUILT AND HANDOVER requirements
301.81 – 301.90NOT USED
CONTRACT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
301.91 – 301.99not used

ANNEXURE 301A