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ISSUE 17
THE RIPPLE EFFECT:
How US Tribal INDIAN Water
Rights are being settled
out of court
GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL:
CARDNO ENTRIX RESPONDS
ROADMAP TO RENEWAL:
CARDNO STAFF AT THE FRONTLINE
OF NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE
SOWING THE SOIL:
PROGRESSIVE REFORM FOR
TIMOR-LESTE’S HORTICULTURAL
CAPABILITY
editorial
Welcome to our new look Cardno News. In this edition we feature
stories on the critical issue of water resource management and influential
achievements from around the world.
The issue of water scarcity is one of the biggest
global challenges we are facing. With a reported
two thirds of the population predicted to be
living under stressed conditions by the year
2025, we are confronted with the challenge of
balancing the exploration and development of
new water saving efficiencies while preventing
diversion away from poorer populations.
The provision of water for consumptive use,
the minimisation of natural hazards and the
preservation and enhancement of water quality
are the three main areas we’ve highlighted.
Our cover story on US Tribal Indian Water
Rights Settlements (page 4) tells the story
of how Cardno economists in the US have
helped secure the environmental and economic
futures of Indian Tribes. For decades, litigation
was the traditional method to quantify Tribal
water rights but recent events have seen good
results by negotiated settlement.
In this issue, we also highlight our work in the
Gulf of Mexico regarding the oil spill response
(page 7).
Our feature on natural disasters, with particular
reference to the widespread flooding along the
East coast of Australia this year, shares some
of the first-hand experiences of our strong
global network of Cardno staff deployed to
respond and rebuild (page 8). It provides an
interesting snapshot of just some of the work
we do to assist with rebuilding and recovery
in the aftermath of natural disasters.
At the other end of the continuum,
Cardno plays an active role in preserving
and enhancing water quality through
working closely with local governments
and communities in developing countries.
Our story on our work in Timor-Leste
(page 11) shows how communities with
typically limited or poor quality water are
improving their horticultural and irrigation
techniques whilst learning to commercialise
their market offerings.
Conversely our ‘Green Village’ story (page 21)
highlights how industry is making inroads
in the US with innovations including
sustainable water practices.
Our stories are a timely reminder that an
investment in infrastructure is an investment
in future generations. If we can share the
benefits of our knowledge and practices
globally, we can take important steps to
address the water crisis worldwide.
Andrew Buckley
Managing Director and CEO
in this issue
FEATURES
Page 4 The ripple effect:
How US Tribal Indian Water Rights
are being settled out of court
Page 7 Gulf of Mexico oil spill:
Cardno ENTRIX responds
Page 8 Roadmap to renewal:
Cardno staff at the frontline of
natural disaster response
Page 11 Sowing the soil:
Progressive reform for TimorLeste’s horticultural capability
REGULARS
Page 2 In the know
Page 13 Thought Leaders series
Page 15 Showcase
Page 21 Sustainability feature
Please send any comments about Cardno News
to [email protected] or call
+61 7 3369 9822. Every effort has been made to
ensure the accuracy of information at the time
of printing. Produced by Cardno Limited © 2011.
US Tribal Water Rights (page 4): irrigated agriculture in the Santa Clare Valley of San Jose, California.
Printed on Envi Recycled 50/50 – National Carbon
Offset Standard certified 100% carbon neutral,
Australian made from 50% recycled content and
FSC Mixed Chain of Custody Certified.
Sydney International Airport’s Runway End Safety Area.
AusAID’s Australia-Africa Partnerships
Facility: Cardno’s Emerging Markets team
will help promote Australia’s dual priorities
of economic development and relationship
building with Africa through a range of
partnerships.
IN THE know
COMPANY NEWS
Half year results: Cardno reported a record
revenue of AU$436m for December 2010
half year, an increase of 91 percent over the
previous half yearly period due in large part
to international M&A activity in the US and
significant wins in the area of assistance for
developing countries.
Cardno JFNew: Cardno has strengthened its
US gas station environmental remediation
project: Cardno is delivering an
environmental remediation project for a
major US oil company involving cleaning up
of contaminated ground water in Northern
California.
Tunnel project: Cardno is part of the design
team for Brisbane’s major AU$1.7 billion
tunnel project, Legacy Way (formerly
Northern Link Road Tunnel). The fivekilometre-long underground toll road will
link Brisbane’s western and inner-northern
suburbs.
Construction materials testing: Cardno Bowler
is providing construction materials testing
services to the PNG LNG project in Papua
New Guinea.
Flood secondment: Cardno personnel
were seconded into the Victorian SES
headquarters to advise on flood patterns
and evacuation planning. Cardno’s previous
storm modelling advice was applied during
mapping exercises conducted during
Cyclone Yasi, which hit far north Queensland
in early February (see story on page 8).
IN THE WORKS
PNG Environmental Protection Agency:
Cardno is in the process of creating Papua
New Guinea’s first Environmental Protection
Agency.
AWARDS
Moving on up: Cardno USA has climbed 100
places on Engineering News-Record’s Top
500 Design Firms list for 2011.
Cardno TBE in the spotlight: Cardno TBE
provided civil and environmental engineering
services for the Pinellas Country Emergency
Responders Building which made it into the top
ten largest construction project list published
by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Cardno
TBE were also awarded the LEED Gold award
by the US Green Building Council for their work
on the project.
presence in the US environmental and natural
resources management market following a
strategic merger with JFNew & Associates,
Inc (JFNew), a US-based full-service
ecological solutions firm. The merger is highly
complementary to the recent acquisition of
ENTRIX and has added another 150 employees
to the Cardno team in the US.
Shopping centre redevelopment: Cardno
WRG will transform an enclosed, interiororientated shopping mall into a multi-building
outdoor retail centre on the border of Oregon
and Washington.
PROJECT WINS
PROJECT COMPLETIONS
EVENTS
USAID’s Serbia Business Enabling Project:
Cardno’s Emerging Markets team has
secured a five-year contract providing
technical assistance to Serbian private sector
businesses in order to enhance economic
growth in the region.
Sydney International Runway: Cardno has
completed independent certification for the
design and construction of a new Runway
End Safety Area. The structure serves to
reduce risk of damage to an aircraft should it
overrun a runway.
Riding to win: Professional cyclist George
Bennet took first place overall riding for
Team Cardno in the 2011 Trust House Cycle
Classic in New Zealand. The race is regarded
as one of the premier lead-up events to the
Tour de France.
APPOINTMENTS
Jean-Francois Floury has been appointed to
the role of General Manager for Cardno’s
Emerging Markets Region.
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CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
TITLE
Text
3
Water issues are complex and can be crucial in the development of Tribal resources.
In some cases they may support important traditional uses as shown here at Crystal
Springs in Northern California, where rock weir fish traps are still in use.
[Photography by Thomas L. Taylor, Senior Consultant, Cardno ENTRIX]
THE RIPPLE EFFECT: How US Tribal
Indian water rights are being
successfully negotiated out of court
More than 100 years ago in a US court room, a decision was
handed down to reserve sufficient water to make Indian
reservations liveable as a permanent homeland. The landmark
ruling created the ‘Winters doctrine’, which guided the future
justification and quantification of Native American reserved
water rights.
Oddly, for decades after Winters, the defining
form of water rights unique to Native
American Tribes was largely ignored, until
50 years ago when the quantity of the water
rights became a source of conflict between
Indian and non-Indians.
Dr. Robert (Bob) McKusick is a Cardno ENTRIX
natural resource economist and veteran of over
100 studies on 56 reservations involving 70
Tribes in sixteen US States. These studies have
assisted Tribes in a wide range of issues from
water settlements to Indian gaming.
Bitter lawsuits ensued and water conflicts
were – for the most part – confined to US
federal and state government courtrooms.
About 20 years ago the conflicting parties
decided to try something new – negotiating
rather than litigating.
Bob has also worked with over 100 irrigation
districts and water agencies in the West
dealing with water settlements and related
water allocation issues.
The shift to negotiated settlements has
had a dramatic impact on both Indians and
non-Indians, by bringing people together to
solve real disputes while recognising Tribal
reserved water rights.
Cardno ENTRIX through its technical
leadership, negotiation and litigation support
and direct participation in water settlements
has evolved into a strong supporter of
negotiated settlements.
Negotiated settlements:
practical realities
Bob’s work with Indian Tribes dates back
to 1980 when, as an economics consultant
and Ph.D. graduate, he landed his first Indian
project to quantify damages from lost water
to the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians (at that
time, Mission Indians).
This small southern California Tribe was
extremely poor, with an unemployment level of
over 30 percent. Most children took first period
gym class so they could shower at school.
Much of the Tribal water supply had diminished
due to water use and diversion, near and
upstream, from the reservation.
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CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
Autumn colours at Ahjumawi Lava Spring State Park, Fall River Valley, Northern California.
[Photography by Thomas L. Taylor, Senior Consultant, Cardno ENTRIX]
“Tribes value our objective
analysis and willingness to
work for the good of the Tribe.”
Bob McKusick, Senior PrincipaL,
CARDNO ENTRIX
Bob assisted the Tribe in settling water and
damage claims against the federal government,
evaluating economic development
opportunities, developing and expanding
gaming and bringing additional land into the
Trust reservation boundary.
The Tribe has been able to protect and expand
its natural resource base, maintain its Indian
Homeland and culture and expand its economic
development.
Most recently, Cardno ENTRIX provided
litigation and technical support for
approximately US$750 million in water
settlements for the Crow and White Mountain
Apache Reservations. Bob had worked with
the federal government for about 25 years on
behalf of the Crow Tribe in quantifying their
water claims. Once the parties decided to
put litigation on hold and seriously negotiate,
a settlement was reached.
5
Wet Water not Paper Water
Bob says the key to water settlements is
to have an agreement that provides an
umbrella for many issues of common concern
to federal governments, states, non-Indian
water users and Tribal nations. He says the
settlement presents the parties with the ability
to receive benefits that cannot be achieved
through litigation.
According to Bob, a settlement provides the
mechanism to protect non-Indian water users
and also not diminish the reserved Tribal water
right, unless agreed upon and compensated.
“For Tribes, it is also an opportunity to obtain
‘wet water’ as opposed to ‘paper water’ rights
of litigation,” he said.
Bob and the Cardno ENTRIX team have
assisted Tribes in obtaining not only ‘wet water’
but also the financial resources to put water
to beneficial use. Thanks to congressional
approval and funding of Indian water
settlements, there is a win-win for all water
users. These settlements can provide certainty
for water rights and avoid costly general stream
adjudications. The results are remarkable –
people who would typically fight against each
other in Court are now working together to
secure government funding to build water
system infrastructures.
Water settlements and sustainable
land development
The desire to maintain and enhance an Indian
Homeland, together with revenue resources
from gaming, economic development, and
water and land settlements has allowed many
Tribes to be ideal candidates for alternative
energy development and organic farming.
These large land bases, with water and a
labour force, are suited for wind and solar
development and biomass production for
cogeneration. What’s more, a large land base
that hasn’t previously been farmed or farmed
with traditional practices is well suited for
organic agriculture.
Cardno ENTRIX economists have developed a
screening tool used by Tribes to identify worthy
projects and potential project partners.
“As independent contractors without a stake in
the project, Tribes value our objective analysis
and willingness to work for the good of the
Tribe. We recognise that the reservation is their
Indian Homeland and must be preserved for
future generations,” said Bob.
Visual results and presentation
As water rights quantification has evolved from
litigation to negotiated settlement, the need for
technical information has evolved from ‘black
box’ difficult-to-understand models to a visual
interactive framework.
Colorado River at Red Wall in the Grand Canyon, Arizona.
“Negotiating parties want to see, touch,
interact and ask questions with immediate
results. They have to be shown the impacts
of settlements on their vested interests in a
format that is understandable and clear,”
said Bob.
Bob and his Cardno ENTRIX multi-disciplinary
team have also evolved their presentation and
evaluation tools. Almost 20 years ago they
began using Geographic Information System
(GIS) mapping technology.
Today, they’re recognised as national experts
in applying GIS technology to water rights
claims and settlements. They’re able to handle
millions of acres of land and other large land
use databases and develop water claims for
small parcels.
“We are a visual society. Negotiating parties
love the ability to ask detailed questions
regarding anything from land use, the type of
claim, impacted watersheds and rivers, legal
definitions, place and type of use and point
of diversion. Most importantly they like to
have it presented in a self-explanatory format,”
said Bob.
Self determination and trust
responsibility: the next phase
The Obama administration supports the
resolution of Indian water rights claims
through negotiated settlement and, as the
Trustee to protect these Tribal reservation and
water rights, the US government carries legal
protection obligations.
Irrigated agriculture in the Santa Clare Valley of San Jose, California.
However it is the Tribal Sovereign government
that will ultimately make the decision regarding
how the resources of the reservation will be
protected, conserved and enhanced. Working
with Tribes requires a deep understanding
of their Sovereign Nation, the Tribe’s selfdetermination and their desire to maintain an
Indian Homeland for future generations.
Many Tribes, with their increasing revenue
sources and large resource bases, are ready to
try new economic development opportunities.
But it is economic development through
the eyes and hearts of the Tribe – not the
non-Indian developer.
“As consultants we have to listen and
make sure we understand the Tribal needs,
goals, and objectives and incorporate
this understanding into our analysis and
presentations,” said Bob.
“We have to include Tribal members and
Councils as a vital part of the study process.”
Cardno ENTRIX offers a full range of
services for Indian Tribes and other water
users including quantification of water
claims, trust claims, economic damage
analysis and economic development
feasibility studies, comprehensive water
and land use studies, fee-to-trust land
conversions and related EIS documents,
negotiation of casino and agricultural
leases, GIS and data management
services, stream and riparian land
restoration, historical and cultural resource
studies, feasibility studies and permitting;
and economic impact studies.
Contact Cardno
Bob McKusick, Senior Principal, Cardno ENTRIX
Vancouver, Washington, US
Phone +1 360 487 6203
[email protected]
www.cardnoentrix.com
Despite treaty rights with the US and a Trust
responsibility to protect the people and natural
resources of the reservation, there are still
many Tribes that live in poverty with some of
the highest unemployment rates in the US.
According to Bob, significant progress has
been made in the last 20 years in water and
land settlements, but less than ten percent of
the Tribes benefit from these settlements.
“There is much more work to be done to seek
and continue these win-win settlements,”
he said.
6
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill:
Cardno ENTRIX responds
Cardno ENTRIX is a diversified environmental consulting firm,
but since its founding in 1984 it has been known for its
particular expertise in oil spill response.
On the back of the business card of every
Cardno ENTRIX employee is an emergency oil
spill response hotline number. Typically, a small,
dedicated crew will respond to a call, and the
intensive phase of the work will be carried out
over the course of days or weeks.
After April 20 2011 though, when the
Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, more
than half of the firm was called to action.
Within 48 hours, Cardno ENTRIX teams were
working with BP’s Planning and Operations
personnel in Houston.
Cardno ENTRIX was hired to provide support
for both Response and Natural Resource
Damage Assessment (NRDA) efforts.
Response efforts are directed to cleaning up
oil, recovering oiled wildlife, and protecting
resources from oil. Cardno ENTRIX staff
supported the Environmental Unit within the
Incident Command System run by the Coast
Guard. Teams were deployed on deep water
vessels, shallow water boats, on foot and by
helicopter to take environmental samples and
to help identify resources at risk.
Cardno ENTRIX teams deployed as part
of the NRDA process are collecting the
ephemeral data used to quantify injuries
to natural resources.
Three aspects of the spill created challenges
unlike those faced on other spill-related
projects for Cardno ENTRIX: distance,
dimension and duration.
The spill occurred more than 50 miles off
shore, and 5000 feet under the water’s
surface. Deepwater sampling cruises on
research vessels lasted from five days to three
weeks or longer. Sediment and deepwater
sampling was accomplished with the use of
ROVs (remote operated vehicles) that took
hours to deploy to the ocean depths.
Cardno ENTRIX crews spanned out over
14,000 miles of Gulf coastline in five states,
working from two command centre and
several more field offices. At its peak, the
Cardno ENTRIX effort included more than
400 active spill respondents.
Most of these participants, from technical
lead scientists to field hands, were deployed
in fourteen-day-on, twelve-day-off rotation
cycles, in two-person partnerships that assured
seamless coverage of each position. Workdays
frequently lasted sixteen or more hours and
many Cardno ENTRIX team members were on
rotation from May for six months or more.
While Response efforts are winding down,
NRDA efforts continue. In April 2011,
BP agreed to a payment of US$1 billion
for restoration projects to offset natural
resource liabilities. Cardno ENTRIX scientists
and economists are now studying the data to
assist BP in determining both the extent of
injuries, and the value of restoration projects.
Working on their own, as well as in partnership
with academic scientists, economists, and
other investigators, Cardno ENTRIX teams
are examining the largest oil spill dataset ever
compiled, to estimate the effects of oiling
on natural resources. It is anticipated that in
addition to helping resolve the current matter,
this new scientific literature will be used to
improve our ability to understand the effects of
future oil spills on natural resources.
Contact Cardno
Chris Pfeifer, Senior Project Scientist
Cardno ENTRIX
New Castle, Delaware, US
Phone +1 302 395 1919
[email protected]
In the NRDA process, established by the
federal government in 1990 following the
Exxon Valdez spill, the Responsible Party
underwrites the cost of data collection and
analysis. The data are, in large part, being
collected cooperatively with government
natural resource trustee agencies. The data
will be analysed to determine the type and
amount of natural resource restoration needed
to compensate for injuries.
Captain Elwood Lee (left) of the M/V Wes Bordelon speaking with Dr. Ralph Markarian (right),
Principal in Charge of Cardno ENTRIX efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.
7
VISION ISSUE 1 APRIL 2011
Aerial photo of roads affected by the flooded Wimmera River in Western Victoria, Australia.
[Photo taken by Heath Sommerville, Hydrologist, Cardno]
Roadmap to renewal:
Cardno staff at the frontline
of natural disaster response
It’s 2.30am on January 14
2011 and Heath Sommerville
is leaving his temporary
home, an ordinary roadside
hotel in Victoria.
He’s heading back to the heart of a region
devastated by unprecedented flooding
which relentlessly swept the east coast
of Australia in the Australian summer.
Heath is a Cardno Hydrologist and one of the
principal consultants deployed for the third time
in as many months to the State Emergency
Services (SES) in regional Victoria. He’s now
a regular fixture in the SES intelligence unit’s
regional control centres, giving advice on the
timing and impacts of the flooding.
Thousands of Australian residents were
profoundly affected and are now part of a
wider global picture, a recurring scene beamed
across screens worldwide, adding fuel to the
debate on the critical issues of climate change
and disaster response.
8
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
Aerial photos of homes inundated by the flooded Wimmera River in Western Victoria, Australia.
[Photos taken by Heath Sommerville, Hydrologist, Cardno]
“It’s about how to bring our expertise together to deliver a
collective outcome far bigger than the sum of its parts.”
Heath Sommerville, Hydrologist, CARDNO
Heath is one of many Cardno staff deployed to
assist with immediate natural disaster relief and
recovery services, and to help with longer-term
development.
As the events of the floods unfolded, the
SES relied on information provided by Heath,
flood intelligence and mapping, and predictive
analysis and forecasts exchanged between
the Bureau of Meteorology and Department of
Sustainability and Environment (DSE).
“It’s certainly about having specialist technical
expertise in hydrology or engineering or
infrastructure, but when you’re confronted with
devastation on such a wide scale, it’s about
how to bring our expertise together to deliver a
collective outcome far bigger than the sum of
its parts,” said Heath.
Meanwhile in the State Control Centre
(SCC), Heath’s Cardno colleague, Rob Swan,
also a veteran of the September 2010 and
January 2011 floods, is working on post-flood
assessment and incorporating the lessons
learned into the disaster relief effort. Rob is
directing his expertise to local SES teams,
arming them with the knowledge of which
roads to cut off and at what time of the day to
expect dangerous peak flooding.
9
It is Rob’s capability that will be called upon
repeatedly to guide the emergency response
teams through a spate of events culminating
in the most severe and widespread summer
flooding in Victoria in living memory.
Rob and Heath say that data modelling,
while helpful in government planning, is
probably the best source of information when
centrally accessed and translated into practical
operational disaster and proactive emergency
response plans.
“We need improved access and modelling of
flood intelligence. It’s essential to accurately
predict when and where waters will hit,
and how to build real-time response plans,”
said Rob.
It’s an important lesson learned and the gap
Cardno has bridged between policy, planning
and response is serving as a working example
for others. Governments are already utilising
recent knowledge and experience of the
Australian flood disasters, and applying it to
planning guidelines for new and future houses,
assets and infrastructure, including tsunami
and earthquake zones.
“The spate of natural disasters allows us
not only to reflect and predict in hindsight,
but if we’re to withstand another event, to
apply what we know now in a historical and
future context. This is crucial to plan for future
infrastructure developments,” said Rob.
The road to recovery is underway for the
small town of Grantham in Queensland’s
Lockyer Valley, severely affected by flash
flooding in January which significantly
damaged more than 100 local homes
and buildings. Under the direction of the
Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA),
Grantham will become the first designated
reconstruction area in Queensland, and will
represent Australia’s first effort to voluntarily
transplant a devastated community.
Cardno will play an integral role in the delivery
of the entire project, providing both design and
construction management expertise. Working
closely with the Lockyer Valley Regional
Council and QRA, Cardno will design and
supervise the delivery of vital infrastructure
services such as roads, water supply and
sewerage. The project will breathe new life into
the community through the establishment of a
new community centre, marketplace and cafe
precinct. Preliminary site works are expected to
commence in June and it is anticipated the first
families will be able to relocate to their new
homes by Christmas 2011.
February 2011 saw residents of Far North
Queensland bracing themselves for Cyclone
Yasi, one of the most powerful cyclones to
affect the area since records commenced.
In addition to wind, storm surges from Cyclone
Yasi were recorded over five metres above
sea level causing significant dual damage to
infrastructure bordering the coastline.
Cardno’s storm modelling expertise was
applied during mapping exercises conducted
during Cyclone Yasi. Since then, Cardno
staff have been involved in assessment and
investigation reports.
A car succumbs to rising flood waters.
“Cardno staff were heavily involved in the
initial damage assessment of the hard-hit
Cassowary Coast region and have been
working with the local Council to assist with
applications for funding to rebuild infrastructure.
We’re also helping insurance companies with
structural reports and assessments of the
massive damage to residential and commercial
buildings,” said Mark Perry, Cardno’s Cairns
Business Unit Manager.
Soon after Yasi hit the Queensland coast,
a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck
Christchurch on what has been described as
the country’s darkest day. Richard Graham,
Cardno’s Christchurch Manager and a
Registered Professional Surveyor, was in
Christchurch when the quake struck.
“The Cardno office in the central city was
relocated for the second time in a month
following the quake and while the search for
new premises continued we had a survey
crew monitoring subsidence above the major
rail tunnel between the City and the Port of
Lyttelton, and a constant stream of structural
inspections around our city,” he said.
“We’ll continue to do
everything we can to assist
with the recovery process.”
“With about 10,000 homes likely to be
demolished along with 40 percent of the
buildings in the CBD, the road to recovery will
be long. But we’ll continue to do everything
we can to assist with the recovery process
and to help ensure our community and all
that supports its growth, are as safe and
sustainable as possible, whatever hand Mother
Nature continues to deal to us,” he said.
As the city of Christchurch and the east coast
of Australia edge towards recovery, Richard
is certain that the combined efforts of the
Cardno specialists on the ground have made
a significant difference to the speed and
effectiveness of the recovery process.
“Working in the aftermath of a natural disaster,
it’s very apparent that it’s not just about
immediate aid. It’s about using the specialist
knowledge to learn from the past, and plan as
best we can for what the future may hold,”
he said.
For nearly 30 years and with ongoing
projects in more than 70 countries,
Cardno has a long history of working with
government agencies, donors and private
firms to recover from natural disasters,
in difficult and often risky places.
Cardno played an important role, for
example, in rebuilding the Indonesian
province of Aceh after the devastating
tsunami of 2004, and also to help rebuild
local government capacity following the
2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
More recently, Cardno is working towards
assisting with the efforts to help rebuild
Haiti after the catastrophic 2010 magnitude
7.0 earthquake, and has contacted
Japanese authorities to express willingness
to assist in the recovery process after large
areas of Japan’s northern Pacific coast
were swamped by a devastating tsunami
in March 2011.
Contact Cardno
Heath Sommerville, Hydrologist and Flood Engineer
Coastal Ocean Water and Environment
Cardno
Phone +61 3 8415 7500
[email protected]
Peter Smith, Market Sector Leader – Urban
Cardno
Phone +61 7 3369 9822
[email protected]
RICHARD Graham,
CHRISTCHURCH MANAGER, CARDNO
10
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
SOWING THE SOIL:
Progressive reform
FOR Timor-Leste’s
horticultural capability
Like any major reform process, the success of the
development effort hinges on intrinsic cultural
change and significant restructuring. So when
the Timorese adopted a bold new motto in 2009,
‘Goodbye Conflict, Welcome Development’, they
sent a message to the world that they were
ready for major change.
Over a period of almost 100 years, the people of Timor struggled for
independence from foreign dominance. Plagued with internal instability
and constant conflict, it took the arrival of the United Nations Mission in
2002, buoyed by help from the international community, to lay the initial
foundations for democratic institutions.
Since Timor-Leste found independence, their people, like much of the
country, are still dependent on growing crops like rice, cotton, and taro
based on traditional practices.
Cardno’s contributions to Timorese agricultural improvements are
channelled through the USAID-funded Desenvolve Agricultura
Comunitária (DAC) project, in which Cardno is a sub-contractor to
Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI).
Left: A flourishing yellow capsicum crop.
[Photo taken by Bruno Benavente]
Right: Bruno with a fresh produce harvest.
11
Far right: East Timor, which gained its
independence from Indonesia in 2002,
is finding ways to assist rural workers such
as these women pruning tomato crops.
[Photo taken by Bruno Benavente]
EMERGING MARKETS
Cardno and DAI have been working together
in Timor-Leste since 2005, firstly on the
Dezenvolve Setor Privadu (DSP) project
focusing on accelerating the development
of Timor-Leste’s nascent agriculture,
agribusiness and private sector by building
critical market linkages.
The DAC project commenced in 2010,
with Cardno and DAI partnering to improve
the commercial viability of horticultural
production by introducing improved
greenhouse and irrigation techniques,
modernised production practices and
agribusiness management methods.
Bruno Benavente, Agribusiness Advisor
on the project, is helping Timorese farmers
improve the variety, increase the volume,
and enhance quality of their fresh produce
including broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cucumber,
tomatoes and capsicum – with an aim to
reduce imports of these goods and improve
farmer incomes.
“By supplying local markets with local produce,
we’ve been able to reduce and sometimes
almost completely halt the import of some
vegetables,” said Bruno.
“The flow-on effect means reduced costs
and middle class Timorese families now have
access to vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli
and other produce, which doesn’t always
happen with imported goods.”
The activities of DSP and DAC have led to
farmers now earning between $300 and
$500 per household every growing season –
enough income to enable family members to
attend school for the first time.
And ‘Doing Business’, a cooperative study by
the World Bank and the International Finance
Corporation, recently ranked the country
174 out of 183 economies in the ‘ease of
doing business’ category.
Homes are now connected to electricity,
and farmers are able to make repairs to their
properties. By collectively saving some of the
proceeds from their crops under the guidance
of the DAC project, farmers were also able
to spend money on a cultural celebration that
they would have otherwise had to forgo due to
money concerns after a rainy growing season.
There is more to be done – as the world’s
second-youngest nation, Timor-Leste has yet
to push many laws and regulations through its
Parliament. But according to Bruno, crucial first
steps have been taken which will pave the way
for a prosperous future for the nation.
Today, the people of Timor-Leste are optimistic,
and despite the global financial crisis, the
country has reported double-digit economic
growth rates for the past three years. In 2009
it had an economic growth rate of thirteen
percent – not only the highest growth rate
in the region, but also one of the highest in
the world.
This growth resulted in a nine percent decrease
of poverty, enabling around 96,000 people to
escape from a situation of extreme poverty.
The 2010 United Nations Human Development
Index moved Timor-Leste up fourteen
positions, while the Millennium Development
Indicators on child mortality rates and other
health indicators were met.
“We’ve seen an increasing sense of real pride
and ownership from farmers who are now able
to send their children to university, improve
their houses and even invest in agricultural
equipment for the very first time,” he said.
Contact Cardno
Sherry Khan, Senior Manager
Governance and Economic Growth
Washington DC, US
Phone +1 703 373 7658
[email protected]
12
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
thought leaders SERIES
The Thought Leaders series is a new addition to the magazine, and brings
together Cardno experts to consider issues of global relevance. In this edition,
we look at the critical issue of fresh water requirements between now and
2050. We talk to two of Cardno’s most senior water experts, Trevor Johnson
from Cardno Australia and John Sitton from Cardno Emerging Markets USA.
Water forecasters are expecting major global
water shortages by 2050, driven in large part
by an increasing population and reliance on
water to fuel insatiable energy consumption
patterns around the globe. To address the
issue, governments and businesses are faced
with a growing responsibility to develop new
water-saving efficiencies and to prevent
diversion away from local populations to
sustain prices and livelihoods.
Q
How will the quantity of water required change between
now and 2050?
Trevor: Increases in standards of living in
developing countries in the Asia Pacific region,
and general increases in population, will lead
directly to significantly increased demand
for fresh potable water. The world may
have sufficient supply to meet anticipated
requirements, but the difficult part will be
delivering it to the locations where it’s
most needed.
The value of water will escalate alarmingly for
those countries without reliable supply. We’ll
need to reduce demand and increase the rate
of recycling. Effluent reuse will be the norm,
rather than the exception.
John: Per capita water available for
consumption will decrease drastically as the
world’s population – and water required for
the production of food and other consumer
goods – increases accordingly. Even at current
population levels, groundwater surface water
levels are dropping rapidly in many areas.
13
John: Desalinisation provides the only new
Wells are being drilled deeper, even tapping
fossil water that cannot be recharged.
Increasing pollution and climate change will
make a deteriorating situation even worse in
many countries. Access to water, especially
for the poor – already a major issue in
developing countries – will worsen as available
fresh water sources dry up or are claimed by
the more fortunate.
Q
What existing and new water sources are likely to be available
over the next 40 years? And what role,
if any, is science and technology likely
to play in developing new sources?
Trevor: There are no new sources of water,
unless we eventually learn to mine comets.
Current and increased rates of usage will
substantially deplete groundwater resources
in particular.
Increased environmental awareness is
likely to limit the potential for new surface
impoundments to be developed. Reuse
and desalination are the only likely sources
of increased supply, and both are currently
expensive and energy-intensive.
The dominant direction of technology solutions
will be new technologies for removing
contaminants from water at low energy cost.
source of water for consumption. Hopefully,
new filter technology will reduce the cost.
For many communities far away from the
coast, water-use efficiency improvements are
their only hope of achieving and maintaining
sustainable supplies.
Some of this may come from new
technologies and demand-reducing practices,
such as wastewater reuse and drip agriculture,
but price increases and other strictly enforced
conservation regulations will be required.
How does the notion of doing Q more with less resonate in your
region of the world?
Trevor: Australia is the world’s driest inhabited
continent, so we manage our freshwater
resources carefully. Also, usage rates have
fallen here, as people become more aware that
water is not necessarily a renewable resource.
Cardno has been instrumental in delivering
services to Government in Australia and Asia
to achieve demand management outcomes.
We’re also a leader in the application of reuse
technologies at both large and small scale.
John: Poor and developing countries face
economic and as well as physical water
scarcity, meaning they cannot afford what
potable water is available. Slum dwellers are
rarely connected to the piped supply and
usually must purchase water of questionable
quality from vendors at prices many times
higher than the city’s water utility charges.
PANELLISTS
THE SCALE OF THE WATER PROBLEM
Scarcity
Cardno has been instrumental
in delivering services to
Government in Australia
and Asia to achieve demand
management outcomes.
Only three percent of the Earth’s water is
freshwater, and of this about two-thirds is
frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. Much of
the rest is underground. With climate change
reducing rainfall, we face critical water
shortages in many places across the planet.
Source: WWF
Trevor Johnson, Director
Cardno
[email protected]
Q
What are the main implications
of water shortfalls?
Trevor: Water shortfalls will certainly lead to
significant tensions between water-rich and
water-poor countries and wars could easily
be fought over gaining control of reliable
sources of potable water. Water shortages
may limit agricultural production in some
areas, particularly in respect of food-animal
production, which is an inefficient user
of water.
John: Increasing water scarcity will cause
political and social upheaval, particularly
in countries with weak economies,
large income disparities, and politically
disenfranchised citizens.
2.6 billion people – half the developing
world – lack basic sanitation.
In developing countries, 70 percent of
industrial wastes are dumped untreated
into waters where they pollute the usable
water supply.
Source: WWAP
Utility tariffs in developing countries are often
unsustainably low, which subsidises middle
and upper class homes and businesses and
reduces incentives to conserve water; and
doesn’t provide sufficient funds for the utility
to extend service to the poor.
Cardno Emerging Markets works in developing
countries to improve utility efficiency, for
example to reduce leakages, improve asset
management, reduce energy use and to
improve financial viability – improving billing and
collections, budget controls and pricing, which
enables utilities to extend service. Cardno also
works in poor areas to increase incomes and to
implement pro-poor financial arrangements.
Hygiene and sanitation
More than 50 percent of people in
developing countries suffer at any given time
from a health problem caused by poor water
and sanitation.
Source: UNEP
Access
John Sitton, Technical Director
Infrastructure and Utilities
Cardno Emerging Markets USA
[email protected]
We could very possibly see mass migrations
and regional conflict over water allocations in
the future.
Working in lesser developed countries over
the last 20 years, I’ve become more and more
concerned with the lack of improvement in
water management. Governments in many
countries don’t know how much groundwater
or surface water is being withdrawn or what
it’s used for. Without adequate information,
and lacking political will, many governments
continue to defer making the policy changes
necessary for long-term sustainability. And it is
the poor and the most vulnerable members of
society that suffer the most.
Between 1990 and 2006, 1.6 billion people
world-wide gained access to improved
water sources. 1.1 billion people in
developing countries still have inadequate
access to water.
Source: UNICEF
By 2025, eighteen billion people will be
living in countries or regions with absolute
water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world
population could be under stress conditions.
Source: FAO
Usage
WHO and UNICEF recommend 20-50
litres of safe freshwater a day per person to
ensure basic needs are met.
The US population is the highest water
users worldwide, at 600 litres each per
day. The average household water use for
washing and drinking in the UK is about
150 litres a person daily, but taking virtual
water (used in the production of imported
food and textiles) into account, each person
soaks up 4,645 litres a day.
Source: WWF
14
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
showcase:
CARDNO PROJECTS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
ASIA PACIFIC
HighlandS emergency
works
Cardno is delivering US$10 million of
emergency rehabilitation works on Papua New
Guinea’s (PNG) Highlands Highway under a
unique investment agreement between Exxon,
the Government of PNG and Cardno.
The Gas Project, which involves piping natural
gas from the country’s highlands to Port
Moresby for liquefaction and export to Asia,
is predicted to double PNG’s gross domestic
product and create thousands of jobs.
The highway’s steep mountain slopes are
currently rife with slips and washouts making
it a notorious zone for rollover accidents. The
poor road condition also slows road transport
to a crawl.
Contact Cardno
As an essential logistics route for the PNG
Gas Project’s extraction facilities and pipeline,
urgent repairs to the highway are critical to
the success of the US$16 billion project. The
areas being repaired are notorious local trouble
spots that have defied previous attempts by
others to effectively address the problems.
Local landowner disputes prevent works being
carried out.
15
Cardno was invited as a partner to the
agreement due to our specialist capability in
construction in the PNG highlands, and our
ability to understand local issues and engage
with local landowners to ensure construction
work proceeds uninterrupted.
Mark Johnston, Area Manager
Engineering Infrastructure, Asia Pacific Division
Phone +61 7 3369 9822
[email protected]
NONGFU SPRING
COMPANY, CHINA
Cardno’s North American Planning and
Landscape Architecture team is currently
involved in the design of three different sites for
one of China’s largest beverage corporations,
Nongfu Spring.
The three projects are diverse in region,
geography, and culture and include locations
near Mt Emei (Chengdu), Fusong (along the
North Korean Border), and Jiandi (near Lake of
1000 Islands).
The design team is conducting a rigorous
onsite analysis of each property, including
mapping of trails, land forms, creeks, flora,
cultural landmarks and views, culminating in
results used to prepare conceptual plans on
location. Following an initial presentation to the
Nongfu Spring CEO and Executive team near
Shanghai, the team is busy preparing designs
illustrating the overall concept and theme.
Plans for the sites of Nongfu Spring are underway.
Design work on the Nongfu projects range
from docks, boardwalks, trails, pedestrian
bridges to observation towers, camping,
gardens and picnic areas. Construction on
the sites begins in June 2011.
Contact Cardno
Tim Daugherty, RLA
Principal, Director of Landscape Architecture
Cardno WRG
Phone +1 602 977 8018
[email protected]
CAIRNS CRUISE LINER
TERMINAL
Far North Queensland has received a
major boost with the opening of the new
AU$13.6 million Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal.
Cardno has been involved in this project from
the very early bid stage, playing an integral
role in developing the multi-disciplinary team
that was ultimately awarded the project,
combining industry excellence with local
presence and knowledge.
Cardno provided a broad range of services to help deliver the new Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal.
Collaborating with architects Arkhefield and
TPG, Cardno provided a broad range of services,
demonstrating excellence in Civil, Structural,
Marine, Transport, and Landscape Architectural
services, including master planning, detailed
design and construction support.
“This highlights our strength and ability to
cross sell and deliver great projects with a local
focus,” said Project Manager Mark Perry.
Cardno’s services were also instrumental in
the conservation and integration of heritage
elements throughout the broader terminal
precinct.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the new
terminal would be a ‘much needed boost’ for
the local economy.
Contact Cardno
Mark Perry, Business Unit Manager – Cairns
Phone +61 7 4051 0288
[email protected]
16
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
showcase:
CARDNO PROJECTS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
ASIA PACIFIC
17
WAFI ACCESS ROAD
The new throughway is expected to reduce
the logistical costs of establishing the mine
substantially as, without a current road link, the
project has relied on helicopter support.
Cardno will design and help construct a
trafficable route through eight kilometres of
PNG’s mountainous jungle terrain to provide
access to one of the country’s most abundant
gold and copper mines.
The Wafi Golpu deposit, in the process of
development through a joint venture between
Harmony Gold and Newcrest Mining, is proving
to be one of the largest recent mineral deposit
discoveries in PNG.
Cardno will design and build a road to Wafi
mine’s initial tunnel portal site, set in the
midst of untamed wilderness in the Morobe
Province.
Harmony CEO Graham Briggs has deemed the
site ‘a world class discovery’.
Contact Cardno
The location proposed for the first tunnel entry
is currently inaccessible and Cardno must work
with a team on the ground to push lines and
map out the best route for clearance, before
surveyors and engineers can begin the detailed
design for the access road.
Eric Kalmbach, Engineering Manager
Asia Pacific Division – Engineering Infrastructure
Cardno Emerging Markets
Phone +61 7 3100 2289
[email protected]
www.cardno.com/emergingmarkets
NORTH AMERICA
LICENSE SURRENDER FOR
KILARC-COW CREEK
HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
Over the last decade, Cardno ENTRIX has
worked with the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E) to surrender the Kilarc-Cow
Creek Hydroelectric Project’s operating license
and prepare for the decommissioning of the
project facilities. PG&E is one of the largest
utilities in the US and is located in Northern and
Central California.
The removal of the hydro project, constructed
between 1904 and 1907 on tributaries to
the Sacramento River, will cost an estimated
US$14.5 million.
The powerhouse tailrace at the Kilarc-Cow Creek Hydroelectric project.
Cardno ENTRIX helped develop the proposed
decommissioning plan, which will restore
natural streamflows, improve aquatic habitat
and benefit federally threatened steelhead trout
and fall-run Chinook salmon. To achieve this,
several diversion dams and 11.2 kilometres of
water conveyance and other facilities will be
removed to allow for a free passage of fish
and sediments.
From 2002-05, Cardno ENTRIX assisted
PG&E by conducting relicensing studies and
negotiating with federal and state resource
agencies, which led to the decision to
surrender and decommission the project. Since
then, Cardno ENTRIX has assisted PG&E in
managing the license surrender process and
consulting with resource agencies in permitting
for the future decommissioning.
Contact Cardno
Stacy Evans, Project Manager/Senior Project Scientist
Cardno ENTRIX
Phone +1 424 248 2107
[email protected]
www.cardnoentrix.com
SOUTH AMERICA
ECUADOR’S PACIFICO
REFINERY AND
PETROCHEMICAL
COMPLEX
Ecuador’s development of the Pacifico
Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is set
to pave the way for the country’s exportation
of crude oil derivatives to Chile, Peru and the
United States.
While Ecuador produces 600,000 barrels of oil
per day, it must spend US$3 billion annually
on imports of gasoline and other products
because its three existing refineries cannot
process heavy crudes.
The 300,000 barrel per day complex will
be the first to produce gasoline, diesel and
petrochemicals including fertilisers, urea,
agrichemicals, and fibres.
Cardno ENTRIX has provided environmental
consulting services and undertaken research
on the project from day one.
It was a year-long process to source a location
for the refinery that would provide the best
conditions for the project’s infrastructure,
including camps, ports and six pipelines
stretching 840 kilometres for crude oil and
seawater.
Cardno conducted extensive environmental
studies and socioeconomic and cultural
assessments, and investigated water use
conflicts and requirements in several of the
country’s provinces before a site, on the Pacific
in Manabí, was determined.
The chosen location will allow the complex
to use seawater in its operations in case no
fresh water is available and, with the residues
produced, the refinery will also be able to
generate its own power.
Engineering is now underway on the complex,
a joint venture between Petroleos de Venezuela
and Petroecuador, with a view to becoming
operational by 2013.
Contact Cardno
Miguel Alemán, Regional Manager/Technical Director/
Principal Ecuador and Peru
Phone +5932 323 7770
[email protected]
www.cardnoentrix.com
18
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
showcase:
CARDNO PROJECTS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Participants in the Value Girls Program.
UK & EUROPE
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BOOST IN BOSNIA
Cardno is applying its economic development
skills to boost private sector business growth in
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Bosnian war of 1992-95 destroyed much
of the country’s economic infrastructure,
leaving the country with decimated exports
and a soaring unemployment rate.
Fostering Interventions for Rapid Market
Advancements in Bosnia and Herzegovina
(FIRMA) Project, is a US$20 million initiative
funded by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) and
the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Cardno is the lead implementer and is working
on interventions to increase Bosnia’s private
enterprise competitiveness to promote
economic growth in three key value-added
sectors – wood products, fabricated metal
products and tourism.
19
Small to medium-sized companies in these
industries are being provided with technical
assistance to improve product design and
quality, connect to global markets, increase
access to finance, deepen workforce skills,
and streamline the business environment.
Presently eighteen months into its five-year
term, the project is working with over 400
private companies. Based on a recent survey,
the exports of these beneficiaries are expected
to grow by nearly 20 percent during 2011 to
US$100 million. FIRMA activities have directly
and indirectly contributed significantly to this
performance.
Contact Cardno
Cinar Akcin, Manager, Governance and Economic Growth
Phone +1 703 373 7674
E-mail: [email protected]
www.cardno.com/emergingmarkets
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
GIRL POWER: CARDNO
TEAMS WITH NIKE
Young women in developing countries are
being empowered to control their futures with
the aid of Cardno’s ‘Value Girls’ Project.
The US$4.7 million program, funded by Nike
Foundation and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) through the
Global Development Alliance (GDA), is designed
to help young women (14-24) in the Nyanza and
Western Provinces of the Lake Victoria region
of Kenya, develop alternative livelihoods and
sustain viable enterprises in vegetable farming
and poultry husbandry.
More than 600 million girls live in the
developing world with no systems to record
their birth or citizenship and, until now, little
finance invested into their futures, yet research
indicates that girls have a greater impact on the
financial prosperity of their families than boys.
A demonstration of how to create a chilli pepper buffer zone.
By investing in young women, research has
shown that she marries later, has fewer,
healthier children and earns up to 25 percent
more in wages. It has also been estimated that
women reinvest 90 percent of their wages
back into their families, where as men reinvest
only 20-40 percent.
The four-year program provides girls with
access to sustainable, income-generating
activities, including vegetable and poultry
farming, and financial literacy training.
It also aims to raise their profile within their
communities, improve their overall confidence
and self image, and provide them with an
opportunity for mentoring, security, and a
social network.
Contact Cardno
Victoria Collins, Director, Private Clients
Cardno Emerging Markets
Washington DC, US
Phone +1 703 373 7712
[email protected]
ELEPHANT-PROOFING
CROPS IN UGANDA
In Northern Uganda wild elephants are
dangerous pests that destroy crop fields and
attack farmers, but Cardno is helping locals
fight back with an unlikely deterrent in the form
of chilli peppers.
After unsuccessfully attempting to scare
the elephants away using loud noise, guns,
catapults and stones, or installing expensive
electric fences, locals have turned to Cardno
to provide a cheaper, safer and more effective
method through the use of the spicy fruit.
The chemical in chillies, capsaicin, is
unpalatable to elephants; it also irritates their
skin and tightens their windpipes, so by
planting a few rows around valuable crops,
farmers create a buffer zone through which the
elephants are reluctant to pass.
The people of Uganda have encountered
many challenges while trying to maintain their
agricultural livelihoods. Development plans
have been disrupted, and homes and crops
ravaged by the elephants migrating though the
country’s northern corridor.
But the peppers have turned into a valuable
cash crop themselves as they can be harvested
and sold on the world market.
Cardno has provided the chilli and other
materials for the project and also educated the
farmers in the profitable production of chilli
through their Stability Peace and Reconciliation
in Northern Uganda (SPRING) project.
Contact Cardno
Jane Hudson, Senior Development Specialist
Cardno Emerging Markets USA
Economic Growth
Washington DC, US
Phone +1 703 373 7673
[email protected]
20
CARDNO NEWS ISSUE 17
THE GREEN VILLAGE:
A MODEL FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
21
How technology innovation is
changing the face of US mixed
use developments.
According to Steve Howarth, Cardno TBE’s
Business Unit Manager for Development and
Environmental Services, several cost-saving
and sustainable design initiatives featured in
the Encore project will now be incorporated in
the Creative Village.
The former location of the National Basketball
Association’s (NBA) Orlando Magic’s Amway
Arena is set for a major overhaul with a
US$1.2 billion Creative Village on the cuttingedge of sustainability.
“These two projects are significant, not just
in size, but also in their inclusion of innovative
sustainable design practices. They’re a huge
step forward for green-based urban growth,”
he said.
In what will be the city’s most significant
construction project in the past two decades,
Cardno is serving as the civil and environmental
engineers and planners for the development
team that will transform the 60-acre site into a
mixed-use, transit-oriented development built
around digital media technologies.
“Our plans for the development include
implementing a storm water vault for the
re-use of rainwater for irrigation, and a solar
panel farm to generate electricity, to be sold
back to the public utility company to fund
the cost of street light operation within
the project.”
The green design that is predicted to
change the face of Orlando is based on
the development team’s recent Encore
redevelopment project in Tampa.
“The concrete, used in the existing arena
located on the site to be demolished, will be
crushed and re-used as base material for the
construction of roads. We’ll also be planting
drought-tolerant landscape species and
incorporating low-impact urban bioswales
along the road sides, as part of the man-made
storm water drainage conveyance system in a
way that mimics the natural environment.”
VISION ISSUE 1 APRIL 2011
A significant step forward in green-based urban growth: Cardno will help transform the site into the city’s most significant construction project in the past two decades.
Left: The site before construction. Right: Impression of the developed site.
Both the Creative Village and Encore projects
will seek Gold certification through the US
Green Building Council’s new LEED for
Neighborhood Development Rating System.
They will be among the first developments
in the country to be certified by the system,
which is based on smart growth, new
urbanism and green building.
The Creative Village will provide a base for
the rapidly growing digital media industry.
With more than 1,200 digital media
companies located in Orlando, generating
around US$9 billion a year, it is becoming
one of the nation’s largest digital media and
simulation clusters.
The development was designed for people
in the high tech industry to ‘live, work, learn,
and play’ in one precinct, which includes
commercial office space, educational facilities,
hotels, retailers, housing and parks.
Educational facilities are already located on the
site, including the University of Central Florida
Center for Emerging Media, the University of
Florida’s Orlando Citylab, the Florida Interactive
Entertainment Academy and the Nap Ford
Charter School.
Steve says the Creative Village, a joint venture
between Banc of America Community
Development Corporation, Ustler Development
and the City of Orlando, will be ‘wired to attract
high-tech corporate headquarters and incubator
industries based on technology’.
“The village has a very modern, high tech
style and we have planned the appropriate
infrastructure and ensured that the
communication facilities will support the
type of digital media businesses the
developers are hoping to attract.”
An additional benefit of the two developments
is the employment boom they have and will
provide for construction contractors. The
collapse of Florida’s construction industry in the
global recession left many people unemployed
and some have reported unsuccessfully
searching for work for as long as two years.
The redevelopments will create thousands of
local jobs during the next four to five years.
Contact Cardno
Steven P. Howarth, PE, Business Unit Manager –
Development and Environmental Services
Cardno TBE
Phone +1 727 531 3505
[email protected]
www.CardnoTBE.com
“It’s basically a city inside a city based around
the digital media industry and education,”
says Steve.
In what will be the city’s most significant construction project
in the past two decades, Cardno is serving as the civil and
environmental engineering and development team that will
transform the 80-acre site into a mixed-use, transit-oriented
development built around digital media technologies.
22
About Cardno
Cardno is an integrated professional services provider delivering the
specialist expertise necessary to create and improve the physical and
social infrastructure that underpins communities around the world.
With over 4,000 employees working from 150 offices in 70 countries,
Cardno’s global team comprises leading advisers who plan, design,
manage and deliver sustainable projects and community programs.
Cardno is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange [ASX: CDD].
Contact
For more information on our scope of services and office locations visit
our website or contact:
Registered office
Cardno Limited
Level 11, North Tower
Green Square
515 St Paul’s Terrace
Fortitude Valley
QLD 4006 Australia
Phone +61 7 3369 9822
[email protected]
www.cardno.com
Printed on Envi Recycled 50/50 – National Carbon
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