Birdon set to build on Bulga benchmark
- 21 October 2025
Birdon’s work on a groundbreaking tailings dam relocation project in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales will rightly get plenty of attention at IMARC 2025 in Sydney. However, the company is building a wider platform in the industry on the back of nearly 50 years as an engineering and manufacturing leader across multiple sectors.
“We see ourselves as part of a new generation of lifecycle partners bridging the gap between traditional mining contractors and specialist environmental firms,” says commercial manager Justin Sayer.
“Birdon’s expertise spans the full lifecycle of maritime and infrastructure projects, from design and mobilisation through to deconstruction, asset recovery and environmental remediation.
“Since our founding in 1977 we’ve built deep capability across the defence, ports, oil and gas, and environmental sectors, with a reputation for solving complex problems through engineered solutions and disciplined delivery.
“Our work in maritime deconstruction, environmental dredging and lifecycle asset management has developed core competencies in hydraulic systems, compliance, telemetry and circularity, all of which are highly transferable to mining.”
“These capabilities are particularly relevant in tailings relocation, site remediation, water infrastructure and ESG-aligned operations.”
Birdon is more than halfway through the five-year Bulga project, one of Australia’s largest tailings relocation projects, involving dredging and relocation of a staggering 29 million cubic metres of tailings. Sayer will sit down with Glencore tailings production superintendent Andrew Green to talk about the project at IMARC.
Birdon was selected by Glencore via a competitive tender process. The company had delivered dredging projects for AGL at Loy Yang in Victoria, involving ash slurry relocation under strict Environmental Protection Authority conditions, and supported mine rehabilitation efforts through hydraulic placement and void shaping.
“These projects have helped us build credibility in the sector and demonstrate the transferability of our maritime expertise to mining,” Sayer says.
“Our ability to mobilise quickly, invest early in tailored systems and operate safely under demanding conditions made us the ideal partner for a project of the scale and strategic importance of Bulga.
“This project showcases Birdon’s ability to deliver engineered dredging solutions in high-stakes environments and our ability to solve complex problems through tailored engineering and collaborative delivery.”
Birdon, established in 1977 in Port Macquarie, NSW, has built an operational footprint with more than 750 employees across Australia, the United States, Europe and Asia. Its Resource and Environment arm has been recognised, through various awards, as a market leader in deconstruction and recycling of maritime and subsea assets and infrastructure.
Mitch Kelly, a leader in Birdon’s project management and decommissioning business, says the division has delivered large and complex disposal and decommissioning projects, consistently achieving over 97% recycling rates.
“This includes the recycling of subsea oil and gas assets, ex-RAN vessels, military aircraft and armoured land vehicles,” he says.
Birdon has also established an international reputation as a designer and manufacturer of specialist vessels. In Australia, where it operates a sizeable dredging fleet, the group has expanded into tailings relocation, pit remediation and environmental dredging.
Kelly says the increasing complexity of mining lifecycle transitions and increased regulatory scrutiny has created demand for integrated solutions that go beyond traditional contracting.
“As mining evolves so does the opportunity to apply our full value-chain offering – from mine site operations through to safe closure and asset recovery,” says Kelly, the group’s general manager Australia West.
“These capabilities are not new to us. They’ve been proven across defence, oil and gas and major infrastructure projects where complexity, compliance and continuity are non-negotiable.
“We see the mining industry as a natural extension of our core strengths.
“At IMARC we’re presenting a model for how mining operators can reduce risk, improve performance and meet ESG targets by partnering with a contractor who understands the full journey of an asset.”
Kelly says mining jurisdictions around the world are facing the same pressures as in Australia: aging assets, stricter ESG expectations and the need for safe, compliant and sustainable closure.
With more than 240 mines expected to close in Australia by 2040 and annual rehabilitation spend forecast to exceed A$4-8 billion, mine decommissioning looms as a distinct and high-value sector.
“Birdon’s strength lies in our ability to deliver engineered, end-to-end solutions across the asset lifecycle including operations to infrastructure deconstruction, waste recovery and site rehabilitation,” Kelly says.
“These capabilities are not only transferable but increasingly in demand across North America, Southeast Asia and Europe, where closure planning is becoming more regulated and community expectations are rising.
“Birdon’s differentiator is our cross-sector experience.
“As global mining companies seek partners who can manage closure with the same rigour as operations, Birdon is well-positioned to lead not just in Australia but in international markets where lifecycle thinking and circularity are becoming the new standard.”
Watch the video of IMARC 2025 preview: Birdon’s groundbreaking Bulga project
