Monteath & Powys were engaged by Downer as the survey managers for the Newcastle Light Rail Project (NLR).  The 2.7km long dual track was designed to run partially within the former heavy rail corridor from Wickham / Newcastle West and then along Hunter and Scott Streets through Newcastle’s central business district to Pacific Park near Newcastle Beach (Newcastle East).

As survey managers, Monteath & Powys were responsible for establishing a high accuracy survey control network for the whole project, along with implementing measures to manage the preservation of survey infrastructure (POSI) requirements for cadastral reference marks and permanent state survey marks within and adjacent to the project.  In addition, it was Monteath & Powys’ responsibility to oversee construction quality control and conformance on behalf of Downer as the managing contractor.

As part of the role, Monteath & Powys were required to liaise with all stakeholders, including Transport for NSW (TfNSW), Newcastle City Council (NCC), NSW Spatial Services, and survey sub-contractors engaged by the construction contractors, to co-ordinate survey control, subsurface utility investigation (SUI), quality control / conformance and other contract requirements. Separately, Monteath & Powys were engaged to carry out construction surveying for each of the six tram stops and the maintenance depot and also weekly aerial photography across the whole of the site utilising a commercial helicopter due to restrictions on the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems.

Monteath & Powys were involved in the project for over 18 months, utilising 46 individual staff members and carrying out over 12,000 man hours of work. The diversity, intensity and integrity  of the work carried out by Monteath & Powys was recognised at the 2019 Excellence in Surveying and Spatial Information Awards, with the award for most outstanding Infrastructure & Construction Project and also for the most outstanding overall project.