Internal Roadways, Turtle Sands

Holiday Park | Mon Repos, QLD

Turtle Sands Holiday Park offers Australia’s newest turtle “see and stay” experience. This unique establishment is located near Bundaberg on a globally significant turtle conservation beach. Accommodations at Turtle Sands allow guests to connect with nature by offering spacious villas, glamping tents, beachfront caravans, and campsites.

Originally owned by the Baker family for over 25 years, Turtle Sands now operates under the NRMA Holiday Parks brand. This upgrade involved removing old infrastructure and adding 21 new sites, including cabins and glamping tents. One of the primary challenges during the development approval process was to ensure that groundwater run-off from the site continued to follow the existing subterranean path into the designated wetland within the Mon Repos Turtle Centre site next door.

After the initial rejection of the DA, the owner developed a new concept report detailing that all internal roads and pathways would be permeable pavers laid directly on the sand base, so the water flow would not be redirected from its current path. This allowed the Bundaberg City Council to approve the Application.

NRMA Parks then purchased the project and set about researching the best product to use. TRUEGRID permeable pavers was recognised as the product of choice based on Environmental Sustainability, Engineering Performance and Longevity. The project commenced in April, 2024 and the Park opened in October 2024.

Client	NRMA Holiday Parks
Type	Redevelopment of existing Caravan Park and Infrastructure
Surface	Existing Grass with 6mtr sand sub grade below
Load Capacity	4-Wheel Caravans, Buses & Garbage Trucks
Area Size	Internal Roads: 7,800 sqm. \| Walkway: 1,300 sqm.
Product Used	TRUEGRID PRO PLUS S Flex 48, PRO LITE & SUPERSPOTS
Time	5.5 Months

Project Scope

The Turtle Sand’s original tourist cabins, roadways, and park facilities had reached the end of their economic life and no longer offered the facilities that travellers were looking for. Having obtained approval to redevelop the park including the addition of Town Sewer, large cabins, upgraded lighting and better central facilities, the opportunity to complete this project hinged on the right Permeable Paver being chosen for the Internal Roadways.

The Client engaged Durack Civil as the principal contractor to work closely with the stakeholders to implement the design, which included TRUEGRID permeable pavers to replace traditional impervious hardstand roadways with a fully permeable surface to maintain compliance with Council imposed Development Conditions. These permeable pavers would allow water to infiltrate into the sandy soil and naturally support the local wetlands.

The public nature of the project required the product chosen to be disability compliant, environmentally sustainable, RPEQ Certified and to perform as a long-term solution.

Challenges

Constructability in Sandy Soil	Wetland Protection Compliance	Disability Access Requirements
The site’s unique soil profile presented complex structural challenges to meet compliance with the Development Approval Conditions. With no option to introduce a traditional CBR layer under the proposed road surface, the question of how to adequately compact the soft sandy soils to carry large vehicles while maintaining the natural infiltration patterns of water movement through the sandy soil down to the clay layer at depth. The Technical difficulty lay in understanding how the sand soil would react under compaction, particularly as it related to the back fill from extensive trench excavation to meet the Combined services Plan.	The project site’s location within a designated wetland protection area covered by 21 Planning overlays created significant regulatory hurdles. The development faced intense scrutiny under Schedule 24 of the PR, which classified any operational work that could potentially divert water to or from a wetland as “high impact earthworks.” This classification led to the rejection of the initial development application through the court appeal process. Learning from this failure the client adapted the new application to show that their proposed works would not impact the adjacent high ecologically significance wetland.	The development team required a drive on surface material that could simultaneously provide stable, disability compliant roadways and pathways while meeting the strict permeability requirements. The client initially proposed to use a 5mm angular gravel fill, but based on the Conditions of Approval made, the decision for sand fill was then tested for accessibility standards and environmental requirements. For the off-street parking and maneuvering zones, the layout incorporated 18 designated spaces, including accessible parking designed in compliance with AS2890.6 and the Building Code of Australia.

Constructability in Sandy Soil

Wetland Protection Compliance

Disability Access Requirements

The site’s unique soil profile presented complex structural challenges to meet compliance with the Development Approval Conditions.

With no option to introduce a traditional CBR layer under the proposed road surface, the question of how to adequately compact the soft sandy soils to carry large vehicles while maintaining the natural infiltration patterns of water movement through the sandy soil down to the clay layer at depth.

The Technical difficulty lay in understanding how the sand soil would react under compaction, particularly as it related to the back fill from extensive trench excavation to meet the Combined services Plan.

The project site’s location within a designated wetland protection area covered by 21 Planning overlays created significant regulatory hurdles.

The development faced intense scrutiny under Schedule 24 of the PR, which classified any operational work that could potentially divert water to or from a wetland as “high impact earthworks.”

This classification led to the rejection of the initial development application through the court appeal process.

Learning from this failure the client adapted the new application to show that their proposed works would not impact the adjacent high ecologically significance wetland.

The development team required a drive on surface material that could simultaneously provide stable, disability compliant roadways and pathways while meeting the strict permeability requirements.

The client initially proposed to use a 5mm angular gravel fill, but based on the Conditions of Approval made, the decision for sand fill was then tested for accessibility standards and environmental requirements.

For the off-street parking and maneuvering zones, the layout incorporated 18 designated spaces, including accessible parking designed in compliance with AS2890.6 and the Building Code of Australia.

Why TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48?

The selection of TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48 by NRMA Holiday Parks followed an extensive review process, focusing on both engineering performance and environmental sustainability checking.

This product stands out as Australia’s only drive-on surface made from 100% recycled HDPE plastic which holds a GECA Certification for environmental compliance. It was a decisive factor in meeting the project’s social, indigenous and environmental objectives.

The process started with an initial trial area laid on the existing ground surface. This tested different ways to install the pavers with various depths and types of materials, including compacting the existing sand, geofabric layers and fill material. Once installed, the loaded tipper trucks were used to monitor any movement in the sub-grade and base materials. Movement occurred in the deep sand excavation and no movement occurred when the grid was laid directly on the ground.

NRMA Parks had engaged a Disability Access Consultant, MGAC, to asses the trial installation and provide certification under AS 1428.1 as a performance based solution. The TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48 with sand and gravel fill met the criteria as the surface stays flat and stable for wheelchairs and prevented slipping.

ENQUIRE NOW

Certification and Compliance

Durack Civil in conjunction with the engineering team at RMA Engineers assessed the result of the trial and prepared the OPW for construction to occur. During the tender process Durack civil raised qualifications about the accountability for the final sign off of the Subbase prior to TRUEGRID installation, the design was non typical with no hardstand materials allowed to be installed. The extent of TRUEGRID Roadways is indicated on the plan below.

To meet the requirements of the Client, TRUEGRID provided a RPEQ Design Certificate prepared by DEQ Engineers that nominated the methodology based on the compaction of sand as defined in the original Soil Test Report.

Implementation

The works were undertaken by Durack Civil as follows:

Boxing out of the road form
Sand stockpiled for reuse
Installation of the Concrete Kerbs
Sand backfill to the desired path
Rolling and compaction of the sand base
Installation of the Combi Grid
A 100mm layer of 60/40 Gravel/Sand mix
A Geofabric layer
TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48
Sand to finish

The integration of essential utilities such as reticulated sewer, water, electrical, and data connections complemented the TRUEGRID permeable pavement installation. This cohesive design ensured both functional resilience and environmental stewardship, positioning Mon Repos Turtle Sands as a model for sustainable redevelopment. The permeable surface of these areas, sealed with TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48 and TRUEGRID PRO LITE, enabled natural drainage while maintaining load-bearing capacity suitable for both light vehicles and service trucks.

The roadways were required to carry heavy vehicles including garbage trucks and buses to cater for any lateral movement under the weight of these vehicles then TRUEGRID was staked at key intersections to remove excessive loading off the kerb infrastructure.

Outcome

The successful completion of the Mon Repos Turtle Sands project stands as a significant achievement for NRMA Parks & Resorts, showcasing innovation and sustainability. This greenfield construction project was completed in just five and a half months, strategically positioning the resort adjacent to Australia’s largest turtle breeding ground. The timing coincides with turtle season, providing guests with a unique opportunity to witness turtle arrivals over the next six months.

● Client Satisfaction Achieved: TRUEGRID permeable pavers have left a lasting impression, underscoring their role in delivering a standout project feature. The Client described the TRUEGRID integration into the site as the best and most unique part of the redevelopment.
● Wetland Protection Successfully Complied: TRUEGRID permeable pavers were instrumental in meeting strict wetland protection requirements. The team demonstrated that the pavers would not disrupt water flow to or from the wetland, enabling the project to overcome regulatory scrutiny and achieve approval.
● Stormwater Management Challenges Resolved: The highly permeable pavers of TRUEGRID maintained natural infiltration in the site’s sandy soil, preventing water diversion issues that could have impacted the wetland ecosystem.
● Disability Access Requirements Fulfilled: TRUEGRID permeable pavers provided a stable, wheelchair-accessible surface that met stringent permeability and environmental standards. The pavers enabled the creation of inclusive pathways without compromising the site’s natural drainage patterns.
● Environmental Credibility: For this project the amount of HDPE industrial waste taken out of landfill was in the order of 55 Tonnes, in avoiding the use of Concrete the project avoid over 245 tonnes of CO2 and allows over 800,000 litres of water to pass directly through the surface into the sand below.

Why choose

TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48?

TRUEGRID Pro Plus S Flex 48 is the only permeable paver specifically engineered for commercial development and industrial-grade parking lots that can handle heavy loads, and high traffic and maximise land utilisation.

● 100% Permeable Paver
● 100% Post-Industrial Recycled HDPE
● S-Flex prevent cracking with the movement of soils and change in seasons
● X anchors leverage gravel to anchor grid
● Rated 25 tonne per axle
● Deep cells eliminate gravel migration
● Works with SuperSpot Parking Markers
● 40 + years, virtually maintenance-free

Learn More