Greenmount work, taken on by arrangement
Greenmount is about 20 km in a straight line from IBP Paving in Landsdale, up on the edge of the Darling Scarp. It is well outside our everyday run, so we take Greenmount work by arrangement: send the job details and a few photos, and we will tell you plainly whether it suits us and when we could do it. Jobs we take on are backed by a lifetime workmanship warranty and over 20 years of paving experience.
Bluestone, laterite and digging on the scarp
Greenmount has a long history of quarrying. A government bluestone quarry operated on its western slope from the 1870s, and most of the suburb is likely to be hard rock and laterite close to the surface. For paving that changes the job. Excavating for a driveway base often means breaking or cutting rock, and levels need more planning because the ground cannot simply be scraped to shape.
Laterite has its uses. Once loose material is cleared, the gravelly layer usually gives a firm footing, and where rock sits high we bring the level up with a compacted crushed rock base rather than digging deeper than we need. Either way, we set the falls before a single paver is laid, because on a scarp lot a few millimetres of fall in the wrong direction sends water straight to the back door.
Drainage is the other half of the problem. Groundwater on the scarp is limited and the slopes fall toward the Helena Valley, so water moves across the surface and downhill rather than down into the ground. Soakwells are often impractical on rock, so on many Greenmount lots we design falls, grated drains and pipework that carry water to where it can safely go. Our Perth soakwell requirements page explains how councils across Perth approach on site drainage.
Steep driveways, retaining and fire safe surfaces
Greenmount is a hills locality bisected by Great Eastern Highway, with about 2,700 residents, and its lots generate three kinds of paving work. The first is the sloping driveway, which needs a deep, well compacted base, strong edge restraints and a pattern that locks together under braking. The second is retaining, to hold the cut and fill that turns a slope into a usable yard or parking pad.
The third is fire safety. Greenmount National Park is on the hill, and much of the suburb is likely to be bushfire prone; check your address on the DFES map. Paving is non combustible, so a hardstand or paved strip against the house in place of mulch, bark or timber decking removes fuel where embers land. It also gives a firm, level surface for hoses and access.
Crossovers, verges and trees in the Shire of Mundaring
Greenmount is in the Shire of Mundaring, which sets its own crossover standard and is particular about the verge.
All crossovers need Shire approval before they are built or modified, and an application fee is payable. Crossovers are built to Shire specifications in concrete, asphalt or brick paving. Brick paved crossovers use solid clay bricks at least 60 mm thick laid in herringbone on 30 mm bedding sand, with no second hand or reject bricks and a minimum 2 percent grade. The first crossover built to standard receives a dollar for dollar Shire contribution up to the cap in the annual fees, with extra contributions where culverts are needed.
Source: Shire of Mundaring, Crossover Requirements; Specifications for Construction of Vehicle Crossovers (Brick Paved).
The herringbone requirement suits a hills driveway anyway, since herringbone resists the creep that slopes and turning wheels cause, so we usually carry the same clay brick pattern from the crossover up to the house. Verge improvements need a sketch plan and Shire approval before work starts, and bush verges must be protected. Verge trees grow on Crown land and are managed by the Shire; a resident may remove a non indigenous verge tree only with a Shire letter of authorisation.
Source: Shire of Mundaring, Verge Maintenance; Verge Trees.
Undercliffe and Greenmount Hill
Undercliffe House on Coongan Avenue, a 1902 Federation Queen Anne home, is a state heritage listed estate, and Greenmount Hill itself is a landmark in the Shire's Municipal Inventory. Next door, Koongamia and Bellevue sit downhill toward the plain, while Helena Valley, Darlington and Swan View complete the neighbourhood. All are covered by arrangement; see areas we service.
