Any reference to CASACIR or its directors, shareholders, owners or operators relates to pre-14 February 2024 when the company was sold. In no way can anything said relate to the company or its new owners, operators, directors, and shareholders after that sale.
The whole of Neerim North Road, including from Main Neerim Road to Palmer Road has been the responsibility of man Y’s company, Quality Roads (a subsidiary of the Stabil-Lime Group), since mid-2009. The fact is that the road had been maintained and repaired in a reasonable manner up to the quarry application by man X, man Y and CASACIR in 2006 when man X, man Y and CASACIR commenced using the road for their heavy haulage.
At the time of their application, none of man X, man Y and/or CASACIR had made any complaints about the quality of the road, even though man Y was a member of the AustStab Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Association, appointed a director on 13 August 2013, and has been identified as still being on the committee as at 10 June 2019.
The AustStab website “about us” states amongst other things that: “AustStab was setup in 1995 by specialist stabilising contractors[1], who wished to raise the awareness of stabilisation in the industry. The main emphasis was to promote the recycling of pavements, the need was seen due to expertise in stabilisation being in pockets of Australia. The experience of road authorities and contractors were brought together to formulate the latest specifications and design and construction methods”.
Man Y’s Stabil-Lime Group website stated about Stabilco: “Stabilco is a specialist stabilisation company with over 30 years of experience who pride themselves on taking on challenging jobs, whether it be location, climate, soil conditions or producing an outcome fit for purpose that meets our clients [sic] objectives. We are committed to delivering quality, value and safety throughout our services providing integrated project solutions. Our diverse scope of capabilities and proven experience allows us to deliver civil engineering and specialised consulting to a wide range of market sectors. Stabilco is an integral part of The Stabil-Lime Group of companies, which are not only the longest running stabilisation group of companies in Australia but are one of the biggest Australian owned stabilisation companies in the Nation. At Stabilco we have talented individuals with extensive industry experience and the expertise to execute and deliver all aspects of stabilisation projects. … Our management teams provide end to end project management, operations and quality control. Our support teams provide project administration and specialised support services including chemical and civil engineering technical advice to our customers. Achieving Highest Technical Standards & Quality for our Customers……”
About the parent company, the Stabil-Lime Group, the website stated about itself:”The Stabil-Lime Group of Companies is focused on being a holistic company servicing the pavements needs of its clients from Sub-grade to Surface. Our various divisions are designed to complement each other with the Group goal to provide the optimum and appropriate solution to any pavement issue or to provide innovative alternatives where possible. Our strengths are in the engineering and project management skills that can be utilised across the various disciplines and the unique skillsets of the field staff and Supervision across each division. We take great pride in the company’s management ethic, our investment is into the long term future and our decisions, be it road recycling or pavement maintenance, and are always based on providing long-term value. We are audited on a monthly basis by regulatory authorities including Vic Roads and have Federal Safety Accreditation. The Stabil-Lime Group of Companies has strong associations with many industry groups such as AustStab, A.A.P.A, C.C.F and regulatory bodies including Vic Roads and local councils. Industry standards have changed enormously and we are particularly focused on all aspects of Work Place Safety. Our IMS system demands regular safety meetings and today every site for road repairs has a signed of traffic management plan in place before work commences. Our vertically integrated operation together with up to date equipment and quality staff allows us not only to get the job done, but to provide our clients with all of the statutory obligations completed precisely.” In spite of their claims in regard to the CFF, they have no such membership in the CCF Victoria because the CCF Victoria have said: “We … can confirm that neither Quality Roads (QR Constructions) or it’s parent company Stabil-Lime Group hold CCF Certification (to the CCF Code) or use the CCF IMS system to conduct their operations”.
The Stabil-Lime Group’s “integrated management system” webpage has now been changed and reduced and says things such as: “The Integrated Management System is a risk management tool set up by The Stabil-Lime Group primarily to meet the requirements of the Civil Construction Industry Systems Management Code. This code is a combination of the requirements of ISO 9001-2000, ISO 14001-2004 and AS 4801-2001 and addresses the areas of OH&S, Environmental and Quality Management”[2]
The Stabil-Lime Group’s webpage “Mission Statement” states: “The Stabil-Lime Group of Companies is committed to achieving the highest technical standards and quality for its’ customers in each particular field of expertise”, yet their“Roads” webpage states: “By using existing materials or materials that are substandard and improving there [sic] mechanical structure via stabilisation is more cost effective as well as decreasing your carbon footprint” – this poses a contradictory problem: “highest technical standards and quality”, yet the use of “substandard materials”. Hmmm.
Man X, man Y and CASACIR’s planning permit demanded that: “31. Prior to commencement of the use [man X, man Y and CASACIR] must construct Neerim North Road from the end of the existing sealed pavement to a point at least 5 metres past the proposed entrance to the quarry in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the responsible authority. The works will generally involve the construction of a 6.0 metre wide sealed road pavement with 0.9 metre shoulders, roadside table drains and crossroad culverts as appropriate. 32. Prior to commencement of the use access to the quarry from Neerim North Road must be upgraded/constructed and sealed, at least up to the property boundary for a semi-trailer in accordance with Vic Roads standard drawing SD 2062 Typical Driveways – Single Unit, Prime Mover/Semi-trailer and B Double…. 34. [man X, man Y and CASACIR] must maintain Neerim North Road from the time quarrying operations commence, with the responsible authority to be notified in writing of the date thereof. The cost of the maintenance work shall be based on quotations provided by Council’s road maintenance contractor for routine maintenance works or by contractors who have been awarded contracts”. However, in spite of the legal demand for the road to be properly constructed, and with specific drainage: that section of road was not constructed – instead, the road was graded and a simple perma-seal was applied in breach of the permit, the drainage was not done, the road was not maintained, the road did not even have the perma-seal to 5m past the entrance, and the driveway was not constructed to fit the condition.
Man Y admitted under oath that they sourced much of their rock through CASACIR (an admitted acronym for Crush Any Shit And Call It Rock) [emphasis mine]: “My companies, Stabilime group, are and were major customers obviously of Casacir and the rock that we were producing or that [man X] on our behalf was producing out of Mount Speed was not the highest grade of stone. We weren’t buying necessarily VicRoads quality but it is a natural mudstone deposit and when you crush it, some parts of it tend to be softer than a basalt or a granite rock quarry and some of my engineers had some disputes with [man X] over the quality and it became known affectionately in our company as mount mud, purely internally, and we had to think of a name and I sat down one night and I certainly did come up with the acronym that is Casacir[3]”.
It would seem appropriate to perhaps believe one of 2 things: (1) perhaps the crushing of any s*** and calling it, and using it as, rock is the reason that the new section of the Neerim North road was so poorly constructed and failed, and the works done on the remainder of the road repeatedly failed and had to be repaired with the repairs being repaired, and so on, and/or (2) perhaps the name of man Y’s company “Quality” Roads is really a misnomer (based on the Neerim North Road).
Whatever the reason, the lack of quality is simply extraordinary given man Y’s membership in the AustStab.
Man X complained under oath to VCAT about the lack of quality of man Y’s company’s work and that it had caused problems: “That was all gravel road and as a condition was we had to bring it up to an 8 metre pavement, to a certain standard, and have it open before we could open the quarry. …That road is, was er okay for starters, but over winter it broke up. Some of us got egg on our face. The er company that er did it is re-doing it. … Originally the tests they did on road, the CBR, which is the Californian Bearing Ratio where a penetrometer is used under the existing pavement to determine the strength of the existing ground, to build a road, originally they thought it was strong enough to put a a layer of rock on it and seal it. Over the winter, it broke up in areas. And now they’ve done it again, and they are coming back in the next couple of weeks to stabilse it to an extra 400 and a load of rock and reseal it. … It has been a problem”.[4] Man Y’s Quality Roads was the company doing the work.
Man X additionally authorised the complaint at a community meeting about the lack of quality of man Y’s company’s work:
(a) Community meeting held 27 September 2010: “Under its planning permit, Casacir were required to construct and seal that section of Neerim North Road between Palmer Road and the quarry entrance. This was done in mid 2009. Unfortunately with the wet weather this winter, the sub-pavement became saturated and the pavement failed. Casacir will have the road reconstructed and sealed when the conditions become dry enough. They have recently had some drainage works undertaken as a pre-curser to this. For that section of Neerim North Road between the Main Neerim Road and Palmer Road, Casacir are obliged to pay for its maintenance. Council instructs its road contractor to undertake the maintenance work and then sends the bill to Casacir for payment”[5].
(b) Community meeting held 5 April 2011: “Under its planning permit, Casacir were required to construct and seal that section of Neerim North Road between Palmer Road and the quarry entrance. Unfortunately with the wet weather last Winter & Spring, the sub-pavement became saturated and the pavement failed. Casacir have had Quality Roads undertake additional drainage works and had the road reconstructed. It will be sealed when Quality Roads next have their sealing equipment in the area. For that section of Neerim North Road between the Main Neerim Road and Palmer Road, Casacir are obliged to pay for its maintenance. Council instructs its road contractor to undertake the maintenance work and then sends the bill to Casacir for payment. There is an area of the road in the dip near Murphys Road where there are still some pavement issues due to drainage problems”[6]. In addition, there was a question/complaint from a community member and it is noted as follows: “Giles spoke regarding the road situation asking whether Casacir’s road specialists got it wrong by stating that the roads were in satisfactory condition for quarry truck use. She stated that the roads have actually failed due to the trucks from the quarry, stating that before Casacir came the roads didn’t need maintenance. Kraan responded that the advice received from the specialists and Council was that the Neerim North Road was satisfactory for quarry truck use. There had been some areas that had broken up and these have been repaired”.
(c) Community meeting held 7 December 2011: “Under its planning permit, Casacir were required to construct and seal that section of Neerim North Road between Palmer Road and the quarry entrance. … With the wet weather during the 2010 Winter & Spring, the sub- pavement became saturated and parts of the pavement failed. Subsequently additional drainage works were undertaken and the failed sections of the road were reconstructed and the road resealed. Unfortunately some failures still occurred. Casacir then decided that the road pavement and sub-pavement were to be fully reconstructed using lime and cement stabilisation techniques. This was completed earlier in the year. It will be sealed as soon as the pavement has dried out sufficiently, hopefully by the end of this week. For that section of Neerim North Road between the Main Neerim Road and Palmer Road, Casacir are obliged to pay for its maintenance. Council instructs its road contractor to undertake the maintenance work and then sends the bill to Casacir for payment. There are some small isolated areas of the road where failure has occurred. These areas are to be dug up and re-laid”[7]. Then there were the complaints by 2 community members at that 7 December meeting (answered by Kraan with man X, man Y and CASACIR sitting next to him) and which were noted as follows: “Giles asked about the road deterioration of Neerim North Road – Kraan responded “that there is wet sub pavement and it has been an extremely wet year”. Giles asked does it take over 12 months to get the roads fixed? – Kraan responded that “Roads are scheduled to be repaired next week”. Zapulla stated that the road repairs weren’t holding up – Kraan responded that “there are sections of the road that need to be dug up and repaired that are failing”.
The section of Neerim North road that Quality Roads had purportedly constructed, but in fact only graded and put down the perma-seal, was only re-sealed in December 2011 (well over 2 years after it had to be completed) – and that was only after they actually and finally did some stabilisation and drainage works. It is important to note that the road is still falling apart in a number of sections.
Man X, man Y and CASACIR claimed that the failure of the road was not due to their activities because: “Currently the road is not used for quarry purposes”[8] – they made this false and extraordinary claim in spite of having used the road from 2006 (when it was in great condition) for transport of their heavy haulage of: *the transport of the office and amenity block, *drill rigs for the drillings in 2006, 2008 and 2009; * concrete blocks for bunding; * concrete trucks; *multiple haul trucks; *multiple excavators; *front end loaders; * dozers; *un-silenced drill rig multiple times; *the bowser and fuel tank. That is in addition to the use of the road by *their trucks and trailers for removal of rock and stone; *Orica trucks and vehicles for the preparations and blasting; *quarry staff and visitors, and other such equipment and vehicles – yet all that usage was declared to not be for quarry purposes?… please, credit us all with more of a brain than that.
I wonder about man Y’s employees in the Stabil-Lime Group, especially in the Quality Roads part of the company. Man Y told the court that his employees were very worried about the facts written in my previous website, but Southall told the court as absolute fact that man Y believed that any employee that believed (the truth of) what was written in that website was not of the highest intelligence – it is important to remember that if anyone within the company questions, they are subject to the following submissions given to the court as absolute fact by Southall, acting on behalf of man Y. The following submission to the court was based upon man Y’s pre-hearing interview with Southall and his resultant witness statement, and it was given as absolute and unequivocal trruth: “He’s had people, particularly in his organisation who have made enquiries about the stability of the firm [as a result of her website], their concern about – these are people at a lower level who might not be expected to have a high degree of insight and intelligence who have simply expressed worry about their position and about whether these downloads on [her] website represent a more general malaise in the company “[9]. This was not contradicted by man Y at any stage – I wonder what the employees think of man Y’s opinion of them, and what rubbish man Y will spring on them to try to alleviate his real and expressed attitude about them!
Below is just one of the tessellated areas that existed on the road they “maintain” (photo taken 16 May 2012)
Below is a photo taken in 2014 showing that their repairs on their repairs are falling apart
Below are 2 photos taken on 24 October 2018 of a different tessellated areas of the road they “maintain” and “repair”
Below is but one example of repairs on repairs required by Quality Roads’ poor work taken in 2018 – 4 years after the first photo of the same stretch of road (above)
Below is an area where Quality Roads had actually dug up the entire section and look at the lack of quality now in October 2018
Below is an area where Quality Roads had done repairs, and see how they are sinking in 2018
In 2021 I drove along the road and saw that it had been repaired, but I wonder if council paid for it, and I wonder if it is still okay!
[1] Remembering also that man Y owns and operates the Stabil-Lime Group of which QR Constructions ad Stabilco are just 2 of the subsidiaries, and
[2] On their page relating to their claim to an “integrated management system”
[3] T246:28–T247:8 (12 April 2013)
[4] T31:23-27, 31–T31:9 (before VCAT members Potts and Byard on 26 November 2010)
[5] Record of meeting, page 4
[6] Minutes of meeting, page 8
[7] Minutes of meeting, pages 4-5
[8] Record of community meeting held 21 October 2009, page 5
[9] T97:23-31 (10 April 2013)