Slope Stabilisation Advancements: Australia and New Zealand are facing escalating geohazard risks driven by intensifying climate impacts, including increased landslide activity, flooding, and associated infrastructure vulnerabilities identified in recent national climate assessments. This growing exposure underscores the urgent need for resilient, engineered slope stabilisation strategies.
With more than 60 years of global experience, Geoquest delivers advanced geotechnical systems that enhance slope stability and safeguard critical infrastructure and communities, providing both active and passive slope protection solutions to mitigate landslides, rockfalls, debris flows, and other natural hazards.
From rugged regional terrain in Australia to steep slopes and alpine zones in New Zealand, Geoquest partners with planners, engineers, and contractors to deliver tailored slope stabilsation designs and materials that stabilise vulnerable slopes and embankments. Whether for new construction, emergency response, or long-term environmental management, Geoquest’s engineered systems are designed to perform under diverse climatic conditions — including heavy rainfall, snow, and unstable soils.
Climate Risks Driving Demand for Slope Stabilisation
Recent national climate assessments reinforce the need for proactive geotechnical risk management:
- Australia: The National Climate Risk Assessment (2025) warns that climate shocks are increasingly overwhelming infrastructure, with more frequent landslides, floods, and erosion threatening hillside and coastal communities.
- New Zealand: The Our Environment 2025 report highlights growing exposure to landslides and flooding, particularly in alpine and coastal regions. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has flagged rising climate adaptation costs, calling for stronger investment in infrastructure resilience.
These findings strengthen the case for engineered slope stabilisation systems like those delivered by Geoquest Australia and New Zealand, ensuring long-term asset protection in the face of increasing geohazard pressures.
Slope Protection Systems
Geoquest applies a comprehensive approach to slope stabilisation and protection, combining active and passive systems based on site-specific conditions and risk profiles:
- Active Solutions – Directly engage with soil or rock masses to reinforce slope stability. Systems include anchored steel wire mesh and anchoring grids designed to contain or retain unstable material.
- Passive Solutions – Intercept and control debris once movement occurs. Options include:
- MSE retaining wall barriers and bunds: Reinforced Earth®, Terralink™, Terratrel®, and GeoTrel® systems
- Steel wire mesh barriers and fences: Hinged post or fixed anchored barriers and catchment fences; and hybrid and attenuator rockfall fences, which combine debris containment with catchment to allow controlled passage of material through the barrier, reducing impact forces and maintenance effort after a rockfall event.
Rockfall Netting and Slope Stability Systems
Geoquest’s slope stabilisation and rockfall protection systems are engineered for durability, adaptability, and energy absorption, offering a wide range of high-tensile steel wire meshes and nets, selected for performance in extreme conditions.
Through a strategic alliance with Trumer Schutzbauten, a global leader in rockfall protection, Geoquest delivers cutting-edge solutions that exceed international standards. This partnership ensures clients in Australia and New Zealand benefit from the latest global advances in geohazard mitigation technology.
Draped and Anchored Mesh Systems
Geoquest’s draped mesh systems are anchored at the crest and extend downslope to control loose rock and debris — ideal for protecting roads, rail corridors, and critical infrastructure. For more robust conditions, anchored mesh systems utilise dense anchor matrices and specialised bearing plates to secure unstable slopes. Each system is precision-engineered based on detailed geotechnical analysis, ensuring optimal long-term performance.
Protecting Australia and New Zealand’s Infrastructure
Geoquest’s expertise spans the design, supply, and installation of slope stabilisation systems for both planned works and rapid response applications. Solutions can be deployed for post-landslide remediation, rock blasting operations, or imminent hazard mitigation — often within accelerated timeframes.
Key geohazard protection capabilities include:
- Rockfall catchment barriers
- Hybrid barrier systems
- Attenuator barrier systems
- Debris flow barriers
- Avalanche protection systems
To learn more about how Geoquest can help safeguard your project or community from slope failure risks, contact Ignacio Hirthe, Geoquest’s Geo Protection Specialist, or reach out to your local Geoquest office.
