Local contractors are providing a welcome boost to the local economy and vital assistance with our 43-kilometre water pipeline project for Denmark — a major undertaking. The support from our contractors and the community big and small is making for light work.

The family-run and civil construction business LG Cravens and Sons made up of father Laurie and his twin sons Jarrad and Brodie is one WA based business working on the project. The family moved from Margaret River to Denmark and have rented an Airbnb house for the duration of the pipeline project.

Image of LG Cravens and SonsFather and twin sons make light work of Denmark pipeline.

We love living in Denmark, it’s very similar to Margaret River with the same environmental and sustainability values, scenery and unfortunately the digging conditions of rock, clay and water!” said Jarrad.

The people and the service they provide is great and reminds me of days gone by.”

The whole Craven family is working together to support each other as Jarrad and Brodie’s mum helps to babysit their kids and runs the business accounts – so like her husband and sons, she’s also quite the busy lady.

Laurie Craven has been contracting to us since 1977, and since 2000, his sons Jarrad and Brodie have been by his side. In July they finished working on another local project – upgrading the water mains in Margaret River’s main street then mobilised to Denmark to work on a 5.5-kilometre section of the Denmark pipeline.

“The project has been pretty full-on with many moving parts due to the conditions and environmental sensitivity of the job,” Jarrad said.

"But it is coming along nicely, especially since we began in the middle of winter and we’ve now settled into the pace of the project, with some healthy competition between us and the other three laying teams."

It’s busy work alright, which means quite the appetite is worked up. The family now has an account at the local bakery, and every morning at 6.15am, they have 12 sandwiches and 6 coffees ready for the boys! They’ve been using a local mobile mechanic, and hydraulic fitter for maintenance, plus the local petrol station and the IGA get daily visits, too.

“I have to give a special shout out to Country Tools on the main street, who has stayed open after hours so we can pick up parts due to our long work hours,” Jarrad said.

Jarrad working on the Denmark pipeline
Jarrad working on the Denmark pipeline.

While local businesses are proving to be invaluable, it would be remiss of us not to mention the women in the family. Jarrad and Brodie’s mum and Laurie’s wife spends the first swing of every new project to fill the fridge with healthy food and do a mountain of meal preparation to sustain them.

“We start work at 6.30am and are home by 5.30pm, so it can prove difficult to maintain healthy eating,” Jarrad said.

The whole Craven contingent are a wonderful addition to the Denmark pipeline project, supporting local businesses and helping us achieve our expectations of project completion early next year.