CLEAN-UP WAS A BEACH

A large landslide at an East Auckland beach in New Zealand called for the construction of a three metre high coastal rock wall, leaving the beach strewn with debris, rock chips and boulders. The massive clean-up operation to remove the blue rock was undertaken by local contractor Alicon Ltd. who hired two tracked mini dumpers from Kennards Hire.

“The tide washed sand over the top of the debris so it couldn’t be seen,” explained John Graham, Owner of Alicon Ltd. “After a few months the tide washed the sand away and the sharp and potentially dangerous fragments of blue rock was revealed, which immediately had to be removed.”

The only available access was via a steep narrow path through a reserve, and a restrictive weight limit on a walk bridge made access to the site difficult. Environmental concerns also meant heavy machinery was not able to be used on the beach.

“We briefly considered using flexi bags and a helicopter,” said John, “but that wasn’t a practical option. That’s when Kennards Hire came on board with a practical solution of their tracked mini dumpers.”

It was a 1km round trip from the beach to the tandem trailer at the top of the path where the rocks were dumped. With a 500kg capacity the rubber tracked mini dumpers were able to be easily manoeuvred along the path and after only two loads the trailer was full.

"Without the mini dumpers from Kennards Hire the only alternative was a fleet of wheelbarrows. This would have led to the project being very time consuming and labour intensive,” John said. “With the mini dumpers we were able to remove four tonne of rock from the beach in three days working in between the tides.”

John has more than 20 years’ experience in the civil construction industry. He established Alicon Ltd. in April 2015 and specialises in the construction of retaining structures and undertaking unique and complex landscaping projects.

Over the years John has hired a range of equipment from Kennards Hire and has been impressed with the service provided by Brendon Powley, saying, service is 100 percent. “If Kennards Hire don’t have a particular piece of equipment available or carry it as part of their normal range, they source it from somewhere else or purchase it and have it readily available so we don’t lose time on a project. That’s the main difference dealing with Kennards Hire, they do whatever it takes to supply the right equipment.

“The guys wouldn’t even allow me a turn on the dumpers,” complains John.