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 subsidiaries of the Stabil-Lime Group are:
- Quality Roads Pty Ltd
- Quality Roads Construction Pty Ltd
- Quality Roads Sealing
- Quality Roads Asphalt Paving
- QR Construction Gippsland Pty Ltd
- Stabilco
- Stabilime
- SLD Hire
- Botrans
Quality Roads is the company that used to (and probably still does) do the repairs and maintenance on the roads for Baw Baw Shire Council.
See some photos at the end of this page for some of the “quality” repairs provided by Quality Roads.
This includes the Neerim North Road, which was in good condition prior to 2007 (when CASACIR commenced using the road for transporting their heavy machinery). The good quality of the road to that point was confirmed by: council’s engineers, Ratio consultants and Kraan.
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” (On their page relating to their claim to an “integrated management system”)
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.
CASACIR was responsible for paying for the road maintenance and repairs, but given that CASACIR and the Stabil-Lime Group shared a director (man Y), the maintenance and repairs were not done by to a proper standard by council’s determination, but naturally because of that inter-relationship, CASACIR did not care and did nothing about it. In fact, Kraan told the community, and man X told the members at VCAT, that the road had not been properly stabilised or constructed in the first place, that the drainage had not been done, that the standard was not satisfactory, and that the entire lengthy section had to be redone. A few of the many of such photos available are supplied at the end of this page (some further photos are supplied on the “Neerim North Road” page) – showing the very poor quality that “Quality” Roads provided, including by having purportedly done “stabilisation”.
Unsurprisingly, the road seriously deteriorated due to the heavy usage by CASACIR, and the subsequent lack of quality of road maintenance and repairs was astounding. The road deteriorated from 2007 and certainly to 2014 (when we sold the property, and it continued to seriously degrade after that).
In spite of the requirement to stabilise and drain a new section of the road, Quality Roads did not do so. In spite of man X, man Y and CASACIR’s permit demanding that the road construction not just be a spray seal, that was exactly what Quality Roads did, and the entire length of this new section was quickly required to be repaired, and repaired again, and again, and then required to be pulled up (this is in spite of man Y being a member of the Auststab group (the “Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Association”), drainage also was very belatedly installed and a completely new surface had to be laid.
In addition, under Quality Roads’ “care”, a number of sections of the previously paved road had to be pulled up and re-done, and then repaired, further repaired and pulled up and then repaired yet again. Lines would be sprayed on the road and then repairs would be done over the lines just days later.
It was unbelievable – especially since council paid in spite of it being a permit demand that CASACIR pay. However, this is exciting news for any developer in Baw Baw Shire – just keep telling council that the road was not satisfactory and that you have to have it re-done and re-done at council’s expense until you are happy to take over the maintenance of it. If council objects to this, you can claim discrimination because the precedent has been set. Man Y noted this in sworn testimony:
Man Y: [T]he increased traffic loading on that road is in part the responsibility, as per the VCAT orders, of Casacir but the fundamental maintenance and provision of a road to a standard is the Baw Baw Shire Council’s issue.
Me: Even after the quarry had been commenced for a while, was it not true that council did some work on it on something like seven major sections of that road to bring it up to standard?
Man Y: The council did certainly via Quality Roads, a number of sections but they were what I would regard as small sections. The work that’s recently been done is major section work and it was patch up work because whilst there is an order to that – basically to that extent, you can’t just pick a bit of a contract out and say well, that’s it. The reality is the council, being the owner of the road, has to have it to a standard before you can say to the quarry or any other major user of it, “Responsibility for maintaining to that standard is yours.” If the standard wasn’t acceptable to start with, you can’t do that. The whole issue with Casacir and the council has been about getting that road to a standard before the maintenance of it can be really policed and administered. It’s that simple. … [Council] just paid us money to bring it up to a standard and we are still working there, I believe, on that work, on three major patches.
Even though not a party to defamation, never having been a party to it and could never be a party to it, the Stabil-Lime Group and one of its subsidiaries, Quality Roads, were brought in to the case many times, with 43 of the many times being noted as follows:
… the Stabilime group which operates a number of subsidiary road construction companies and much of their work is under contract with either called VicRoads or Roads Corporation or whatever its statutory name is from time to time. … at all events, much of the work of the Stabilime group, of which [the second plaintiff] is the guiding light, is done with VicRoads under contract and I think you can safely say that many of the roads you drive across in Gippsland have been constructed either by or through the subsidiaries of that group of companies.
He will say that he’s also managing director of the Stabilime group of companies which consists of some seven corporate entities including a firm called Quality Roads Pty Ltd.
His group of companies, … Your Honour, employ I think over 100 people – 200 people.
[T]he Stabilime group of companies which comprises six different companies.
[O]n two or three occasions in the last few years he’s been at job interviews of potential new employees of Stabilime group.
It’s of concern to him as the CEO of the Stabilime group that potential employees, “and others in the industry become aware of the company when looking up my companies or looking up the Stabilime group of companies … in a web search.” He’s aware of other employees in the Stabilime group who have been monitoring it and printing parts of the website for the group.
There were other allegations he recalls reading, I think it’s the Quality Roads download that I referred to earlier which is attached to that letter from the complaining lady.
It comes before the commencement of the Quality Roads annexure.
The Quality Roads sort of web page and things that aren’t actually part of the pleading … the Quality Roads website which has absolutely no relevance at all to the matter at hand[1]
A couple of his employees at Quality Roads Pty Ltd, which is one of the group, have pulled him aside and made comments about, “Things must be pretty tough at the moment”, or words to the effect.
[N]ot with Casacir or Stabilime or Quality Roads or any of the other subsidiaries or related parties.
[O]ne visit was a result of a search keywords, “Quality Roads”.
We contracted out to Quality Roads the rebuilding of that road to the conditions and the time limits set down by the council.
Quality Roads tested the strength of the existing pavement, determined and designed a pavement that we thought would hold up but after the first – the drainage and the road was done, the extra rock was put on and it was sealed but after the first winter, it had numerous failures in it.
I’ve kept myself – because of my involvement with Quality Roads, one of our companies, I’ve kept that aspect of my administration quite separate.
Your Honour, it was a letter of complaint that was sent by a solicitor on behalf of a client for whom [the second plaintiff’s] company, the Stabilime group, had done works in relation to a driveway.
Excuse me, Your Honour, Quality Roads has 02.50PM actually nothing to do with this case. They are not a party. … but to go into any impacts on Quality Roads or anything is not acceptable.
[A]bout other issues such as the complaints in the newspapers regarding Quality Roads.
[N]ewspaper articles that have been written about you and the lack of quality of the work on some of the roads that Quality Roads has done.
19 June 2012: “Road after resealing. The bitumen sealing on Stockdales Road in Warragul has started to break up just months after $99,000 of road works was completed. Quality Roads carried out the construction and sealing.” Down the bottom: “Quality Roads was awarded the contract to gravel, resheet and seal six roads including Stockdales Road at a cost of $1 million by Baw Baw Shire in November 2011.”
The Neerim North Road has absolutely shocking repair.
[T]hen I started the Stabilime Group of companies.
I have in our head office of the Stabilime Group we have a dedicated bookkeeper and we handle the financial requirements of that company.
Between 200 and 250 [people are employed in the Stabilime Group].
The other members of the Stabilime Group are spread throughout Australia. Are you in constant or fairly regular contact with the employees employed within the Stabilime Group?—I certainly am, not to the degree that I once was.
Within your companies, your group of companies, … the Stabilime road making, road surfacing operation, what do you say about the relevance and significance of your authority within the group and respect held by the employees for you?
[Several people] within the Stabilime Group.
The reference in the industry, the people, particularly my employees, that is the Stabilime people and our customers, it’s a major issue for us.
[T]he Stabilime group, had done works in relation to a driveway.
As a client of the Stabilime group, our various companies, for many years they have been a major client and our income from – as a group from that shire has been in excess of $5 million.
[W]hen I contacted Quality Roads.
[P]art of the claim has been to bring in Stabilime Group, Casacir and Quality Roads.
[It] throws doubt on the impact of the website, even on Quality Roads.
My companies, Stabilime group, are and were major customers obviously of Casacir and the rock that we were producing.
[T]he poor quality of the work done on the roads by Quality Roads is the real reason that the amount of work is down, if it is indeed down. The poor quality is evidenced by photos in the newspaper, in the Quality Roads web page.
[T]he Quality Roads web page, which is, and Mr Southall’s entered into evidence together with a letter from Marshalls & Dent which show the extremely poor quality of workmanship undertaken.
[The] letter from Marshalls & Dent Lawyers to the Stabilime Group of companies, …. It contains some bitter statements about the quality of some driveway works that had been carried out.
It of course is not a part that we specifically complain of in the pleadings, but it’s a part that Mrs Duvoisin has obviously had attention to under the heading “Quality Roads Quarry Fight”.
Then he goes on to say how much business his Stabilime group does with them.
Stabilime businesses had built a reputation over many years”, and this is very important.
[T]he Stabilime Group [has] over 200 [employees].
Quality Roads Construction, sealed in 2011 and paid for by Baw Baw Shire Council, were pulled up and redone as part of those works currently being done – again at ratepayer’s expense instead of Casacir’s. That can’t be blamed on the road not having been handed over in a satisfactory state.
[A] road building and stabilisation business through a group of companies known as the Stabil-Lime Group of Companies with some 200 employees spread across several depots in the Gippsland region, including the Baw Baw Shire and Jindivick, as well as other places in Australia.[2]
[A] solicitor’s letter of demand from a dissatisfied client to … the Stabil-Line Group of Companies. The letter, sent on behalf of [a neighbour of man Y’s], who complained about the quality of work on an asphalt driveway at her home.[3]
Perhaps a reason for the road looking so poorly was an explanation provided by Heath (man Y’s son) at a council meeting where he explained that a new, transparent, “tar” was being trialled by the company.
It is important to remember that if anyone within the company asks questions, they are subject to the following submissions given to the court as absolute fact by Southall, acting on behalf of man Y in relation to, not just the employees of CASACIR, but also the employees of the Stabil-Lime Group. This submission was given to the court as absolute fact as was based upon man Y’s pre-hearing interviews with Southall, and witness statements:
[Man Y]’s had people, particularly in his organisation who have made enquiries about the stability of the firm, 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 the [previous] website represent a more general malaise in the company[1].
One of the many sections of tessellated road pavement under Quality Roads’ “care”
The new section of road done by Quality Roads, and the lack of quality
Well, I must say that I was amazed when I visited the area in September 2021: after all those years of doing such a consistently shoddy job, they have finally done the road as it should have been done in the first place. It would be interesting to know who paid for it – my guess it was council (i.e. rate-payers) instead of CASACIR as required by its permit. One has to ask why Quality Roads was content to have their name so besmirched by their own works. But then again, perhaps a different company did the new road works (I only say this because the quality is soooo different to the previous years of lack of quality) – or perhaps it is the result of this webpage!
[1] Me complaining at the intrusion
[2] Judgment, Reasons at [2]
[3] Ibid, Reasons at [26]