Endangered orchids are just part of a day's work

摘要

Engineering associate Caroline Griffiths today starts work at 8am. Before the day's end she will have dealt with many issues, among them an endangered orchid, in her role as civil engineer for Allen, Price and Associates. The company is a land and development consultant in Nowra, NSW. After checking the morning's emails, Griffiths prepares the documentation to accompany a linen plan for a subdivision which is a document sent to the local council for endorsement and lodged with the land titles office when physical works are completed. This is followed by some design work for a 22-lot stage of a 270-lot subdivision. Griffiths is working quickly to finalise these designs to accommodate an endangered orchid within the site adjacent to a nearby national park. As the orchid only blooms in September, construction is confined to December, January or February of any given year when the plant is dormant. This has created a strict construction window for the design team which they must meet.