Rotex Excavations has recently deployed its earthmoving equipment at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in preparation for major concerts
When major events roll into Melbourne, the spotlight always lands on the performers, but it often misses the people working behind the scenes to make sure each venue is in peak condition.
Rotex Excavations owner and director Grant Blashki is just one example of this, having been contracted by Programmed Property Maintenance to rejuvenate the outside grounds of the MCG in preparation for AC/DC’s ‘Power Up’ Tour, which was held in mid-November last year.
Given its trusted name in Victoria’s civil construction and land management sectors, Rotex Excavations was the perfect candidate for the job, leveraging its extensive experience providing earthworks, site preparation and excavation services for a range of projects.
Delivering everything from local infrastructure upgrades to fire access tracks and bushfire mitigation works, Grant says Rotex Excavations understands the importance of safe, compliant and environmentally conscious work with tight deadlines.
This was no different for the MCG project, starting work just four days before massive crowds entered the gates for night one of AC/DC’s tour.
The brief was simple – to reinstate the damaged grass in the outside grounds of the iconic venue.
“Heavy foot traffic at events like this causes scorched and bare grass outside the MCG, so we were engaged to prep the ground to be ready for new grass to be laid,” Grant says.
“When people walk on the grass it hardens up, so you can’t lay any new grass because it’s too hard and compact. We had to fluff it all up and get it ready for instant turf to be laid over the top.”
Rotex Excavations’ Kubota SVL97-3 compact track loader got straight to work in style – sporting a sleek custom-paint job – and a power rake attachment to rejuvenate the soil.
Using this attachment, the compact track loader broke up hard clumps and created a smooth surface for the instant turf to be laid.
“We used this attachment because there are multiple areas around the MCG premises that we could get around and accurately power rake with the low ground pressure of the track loader,” Grant says.
Rotex Excavations finished all soil rejuvenation works in just one day, with the new turf being laid on top the day after.
“We do various works at the MCG, such as cleaning up the granitic sand out the front of gate three,” Grant says.
“When it rains, the sand can wash away and can be a trip hazard, so we used the track loader and power rake to tidy it up.”
Perfect presentation
Just a couple of months earlier, Rotex Excavations completed a project for Programmed Property Maintenance at another iconic Melbourne venue – the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
The task involved excavating two structural pads located on either side of the music venue to eventually house portable food and beverage vans during major concerts and festivals.
Unlike the MCG works, this project required more traditional digging rather than turf preparation, making a compact excavator the ideal choice for the project.
For this reason, Rotex Excavations utilised its Volvo Construction Equipment ECR58F to complete the job in just one day, ensuring minimal disruption to the venue’s operations and readiness for upcoming performances.
“Not everyone gets to work at venues like the MCG and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, especially when you’re bringing your own machines onto the grounds and being able to access the whole area,” Grant says.
“That’s what we enjoy most about these types of works, because it’s not every day that you get asked to do them.”
For more information on Rotex Excavations, visit rotexexcavations.com or call Grant Blashki on 0459 903 153.
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