Location

Greater Queanbeyan region

Client

School Infrastructure NSW (SINSW)

Project

Regional Queanbeyan Package – NSW

Overview

The budget for the upgrade and expansion across 4 schools was $59 million. Each school had unique requirements.

At Braidwood Central School, the works included construction and refurbishment of facilities to accommodate the forecast growth in student numbers while being mindful of the historical significance of the area.

At Karabar High School, the goal was to replace demountable teaching spaces with 10 general learning areas and educational support facilities.

At Queanbeyan High School, the project had the dual concerns of constructing new facilities to improve the school’s student and staffing capacity without reducing recreational open space for students.

At Yass High School, construction of a new education centre focused on providing enhanced science facilities, support areas and general learning spaces.

Project Purpose

To deliver high quality, flexible, state-of-the-art school upgrades to address the specific needs of 4 schools in the greater Queanbeyan area.

Project Goals

Each school upgrade had unique goals to address their specific needs. However, the overarching goals of the project were to provide innovative learning centres for a growing student population while providing staff facilities that align with Educational Facilities Standards and Guidelines.

blueVisions’ Role

This extensive project required a collaborative approach when engaging with all members of the project team, suppliers and stakeholders (such as teachers, principals and the wider school community).

The role of blueVisions as Project Management Consultants included:

  • Liaising with SINSW planners to define individual project scopes for each school
  • Coordinating with planning, Head Design Consultants and Quantity Surveyors to package master planning, financial assessments and approval processes for the Business Case
  • Producing documents on behalf of the SINSW
  • Managing heritage and archaeological discoveries creating a significantly expanded scope
  • Determining the procurement model, finalising tender/contract documentation and leading the procurement process
  • Identifying and managing staging options for the teachers and students affected by the works – critical in an operational school environment
  • GC21 Contract administration including site inspections, proactive WHS and environmental management
  • Managing the construction and post construction project phases

Challenges

There will always be challenges with a project of this scale across multiple sites. In particular, blueVisions managed:

  • The need for Working With Children Checks for all contractors given the close proximity and access to school grounds throughout the project
  • Managing and administering contract variations, payments and claims
  • Monitoring progress across multiple sites, revising and forecasting completion dates as well as formulating recovery strategies when delays occurred.
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Project Scope

Braidwood Central School

  • Removal of 5 demountable teaching spaces
  • Construction of 6 general learning areas
  • Construction of a 2-level building with elevator to meet accessibility requirements
  • Construction of 2 Specialist learning areas – predominately for music and drama programs with the ability to adapt for other teaching purposes
  • Internal refurbishment of the c.1881 Administration Building with an extension to accommodate additional administration staff
  • Internal refurbishment of the Staff Building to accommodate a proportion of total teaching staff
  • Restoration of the façade and interior of the heritage listed c.1854 Block G
  • Relocation of a 1950s era timber framed and weatherboard clad classroom
  • Demolition of Block S toilets to create additional open learning spaces
  • Remediation of in-ground sewerage and stormwater drainage systems

Karabar High School

  • Construction of a new building to replace existing demountable teaching spaces
  • Construction of a new spit-level building with 10 general learning spaces, a seminar room, elevator and educational support facilities

Queanbeyan High School

  • Internal refurbishment of Administration Building with extension to upgrade facilities to align with the Educational Facilities Standards and Guidelines (EFSG)
  • Internal refurbishment of Staff Building to address ageing, inefficient and dilapidated conditions
  • Internal refurbishment and reconfiguration on 2 levels of Block A along with construction of a 2-level extension
  • Internal refurbishment to the Hospitality Building (Block D) to bring existing kitchens into conformance with EFSG
  • Internal refurbishment and reconfiguration of science laboratory learning spaces (Block F)
  • Provision of an outdoor learning area
  • Demolition of a disused and dilapidated sports changing room
  • Refurbishment of the hard surface sports court area with provision for a covered outdoor learning area
  • Rectification of dilapidated sewerage and stormwater drainage infrastructure

Yass High School

Construction of a 2-level building containing:

  • 6 general learning spaces
  • 3 seminar rooms
  • A science laboratory, preparation room with apparatus and chemical storage facilities
  • A botany/zoology space
  • IT room
  • Cleaners’ room

Outcomes to date

  • Braidwood Central School has received Development Approval following a protracted approval process in light of the significant heritage concerns around all development within the town of Braidwood. The Construction Certificate is being prepared and construction will start in late May 2020;
  • Queanbeyan High School works have been staged to provide handover of the Administration facilities in November 2019, and the remaining works are nearing completion with handover on track for mid-June 2020;
  • Yass High School works were completed on schedule and on budget at the end of May 2020.
  • Karabar High School works were completed on schedule and on budget in June 2020;