Former Quarry, Bundoora

Tonkin + Taylor, in collaboration with Intrapac, is helping transform a former basalt quarry at 149 McKimmies Road into a thriving new neighbourhood. Located along Darebin Creek in Melbourne’s north, the project is set to deliver a diverse mix of housing and reinvigorate the local environment with new parklands, tree-lined streets, and active transport connections.

The site’s legacy as a quarry — later backfilled with non-putrescible ‘clean fill’ between 1999 and 2017 — presented geotechnical and environmental challenges that required specialist remediation expertise.

Since 2021, Tonkin + Taylor and Chadwick Geotechnics have delivered integrated geotechnical, environmental and construction services to unlock the site for future residential use.

T+T developed a comprehensive remediation and rehabilitation plan designed to ensure ground stability and environmental performance across the site. Our scope included:

• Intrusive geotechnical and environmental investigations

• In-situ fill characterisation

• Settlement analysis and modelling

• Wick drain and surcharge design

• Landfill gas monitoring and instrumentation

• Earthworks supervision and construction support

With up to 30 metres of historical fill across the site, ground improvement was essential to achieve settlement outcomes suitable for future homes, roads, and parks. Wick drains were installed to accelerate primary consolidation, supported by surcharging and real-time settlement monitoring.

Our ground improvement design has performed as predicted, with monitoring data closely matching our settlement models. This level of precision has enabled the development to move confidently into the civil construction phase for Stage 1 housing.

In parallel, the transformation of the site will see two large public parks and a network of pedestrian and cycle paths established — including a new bridge connecting the precinct to Thomastown East Sports Field. Once complete, the area will feature 30% canopy tree cover, supporting long-term ecological and community wellbeing.

This project demonstrates how specialist geotechnical expertise can unlock the redevelopment potential of complex brownfield sites. Through smart design, rigorous monitoring and collaborative delivery, T+T is helping shape a resilient, connected and liveable future community — built on solid ground.