For immediate release, Wednesday 28 May 2025, Sydney:
A routine day at Boral's Stockton Quarry recently turned into something extraordinary when storms and strong winds uncovered Aboriginal cultural sites within the buffer zone between our operational pit and the neighbouring Worimi Conservation Lands.
For nearly 30 years, Stockton Quarry has supplied sand to the construction, landscaping and building industries across the Hunter, Port Stephens and even parts of Sydney.
The sites, exposed by storms late last year, included stone artefacts, shell middens, artefact scatters and bone fragments. They were located in an area visited by more than 200,000 people each year, making immediate protection a priority.
Our Stockton Quarry team responded quickly, working closely with the Worimi traditional custodians and key stakeholders, including the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Working together, the sites were recorded, photographed and repatriated to ensure their ongoing protection.
Boral’s Stockton Quarry Manager, Rod Johnson, said a methodical approach with a focus on “getting it right” has been followed with steps taken to safeguard the area including, the installation of more than 300 metres of bunting and posts, daily inspections of the immediate and surrounding area and regular toolbox talks to keep employees and contractors informed.
“Strict controls are in place to limit machinery movement and monitor for further exposure after storms or high winds,” Mr Johnson said.
“This isn’t just about what we dig from the ground. It’s about what we honour in the ground. And we’re proud to play a role in protecting that history.”
Chair of the Worimi Conservation Lands (WCL) Board of Management, Jamie Tarrant, noted the land on which Boral operates forms part of a cultural story, they are a neighbour to the park, and we all have a responsibility to care for Country.
“The WCL Board along with the Worimi Traditional Owners want to ensure that the Board’s vision of protect, respect and connect with country ensures that the protection of culture is always at the forefront of what we do.
“Recent storms and closure only amplify our need to work together to protect and manage this culturally significant country.”
Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) CEO Andrew Smith said: “By working together and collaborating ‘as one’ – Wakulda – only then can we truly appreciate the invaluable local knowledge and history, necessary to provide protection of the first culture and the original heritage of the land on which Boral operates, Worimi Barray.”
Last year Boral launched its Innovate Bula Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2024-2026 which contain, among its aims, the goal of fostering relationships with local Aboriginal communities.
Learn more about Boral’s Innovate Bula Reconciliation Action Plan: https://www.boral.com.au/reconciliation-action-plan
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Macrina Lim, FTI Consulting
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macrina.lim@fticonsulting.com
Images to accompany the story can be downloaded here.
About Boral
Boral is the largest vertically-integrated construction materials company in Australia.
Our network includes prized quarry and cement infrastructure, bitumen, construction materials recycling, asphalt and concrete batching operations.
We employ about 7,500 employees and contractors across our operations that span more than 360 sites nation-wide.
For more than 75 years we’ve been building something great in Australia - rarely a day goes by that you wouldn’t pass one of our sites or trucks, enter a building, use a road, bridge, tunnel, footpath or other critical infrastructure that our people and products have helped enable.
