CORDELL CONSTRUCTION MONTHLY

PIPELINE - AUSTRALIA

The number of new projects which have been announced but not yet commenced was down 33% month-on-month, with 1,216 new projects added to the pipeline in December. The estimated total value of those projects was $8.8 billion. At a national level, the number of new projects recorded over the 12 months to December fell by around 5% when compared to the previous 12 month period.

MOVING INTO CONSTRUCTION - AUSTRALIA

There were 863 projects moving into the construction phase over the month of December, down 14% month-on month. Although the number of projects fell over the month, the total estimated value of those projects was higher when compared to the previous month. Civil engineering projects made up 29% of the total value of projects moving into construction, followed by apartments and unit projects (23%).

NEW SOUTH WALES

French/Japanese architect Moreau Kusunoki along with Genton have been selected as the successful competition winner for the design of the Powerhouse Museum at Parramatta. The team beat five other shortlisted contenders. The design consists of a structural steel lattice exoskeleton which will allow the public to see glimpses of the exhibitions and the collection from outside, with structural timber to the top of the building.

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has granted approval for the $188 million, 125MW Maryvale Solar Farm to be developed by Photon Energy and Canadian Solar. In the Armidale area, the Joint Regional Planning panel has approved Infinergy Pacific’s 29.9MW Stringybark Solar Farm.

Byron Shire Council is conducting a feasibility study for a 4.95MW solar farm next to the Resource and Recovery Centre in Dingo Lane, Myocum. The solar farm would reduce the council’s carbon emissions and offset power usage to help achieve the council’s goal of net zero emissions by 2025 and 100% renewable energy by 2027.

Blacktown City Council has invited public consultation for the preliminary business case for the $27 million Western Sydney Animal Rehoming Centre in Glendenning, which will replace the current 40 year old facility in Blacktown. The new centre will be able to house 135 dogs and 230 cats pending their adoption.

Walker Group will join foundation partners Western Sydney University, South West Sydney Local Health District, the Ingham Institute and the University of New South Wales to develop the $50 million Macarthur Medical Research Centre, a worldclass medical research facility in Campbelltown.

The NSW Government has announced that the Affinity consortium, comprising Frasers Property and Hume Community Housing, has been awarded the contract to develop the Telopea Estate. The project will deliver about 4,400 new homes, including a target of 1,000 affordable and social housing properties. Development applications for the first stage of redevelopment will be lodged within 6-12 months.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Construction has started on Stage 1 of the Monaro Highway upgrade. Dale & Hitchcock Civil Engineering & Landscaping is undertaking the works which are expected to be completed ahead of the 2020 ski season, weather permitting. The entire project, which is worth $200 million and includes widening works an targeted safety upgrades along the Monaro Highway corridor, is jointly funded by the Federal and ACT Governments and has been fast tracked following the Federal Government’s announcement to release $30 million in the 2020-21 financial year.

VICTORIA

Kosloff Architecture has been appointed to design the $20.25 million South West TAFE learning and library hub at the TAFE’s Warrnambool campus. The joint project with Warrnambool City Council will be open to the public and will include public computers, exhibition and display and study areas, meeting rooms, and a games and digital media zone. A builder is expected to be appointed in December 2020 with completion anticipated in early 2022.

Mirvac has acquired a one hectare site in Brunswick with plans to develop its second Melbourne build-torent project. The site has the capacity to yield over 400 dwellings.

A new Holiday Inn hotel is planned at Richmond following the signing of a long term management agreement between Intercontinental Hotels Group and a joint venture between Pelligra Group, PrimeLand Group and Diamond Hospitality Singapore.

The Minister for Education has announced that land has been purchased in Sequoia Drive, Kalkallo to build a new Kalkallo Common Primary School. The school is part of the Victorian Government’s building boom which will see 100 new government schools open by 2026. Designed by Thomson Adsett and Law Architects, the school is set to open in 2022.

An alliance comprising Laing O’Rourke, Jacobs and Metro (MTM) has been awarded a $496 million contract to remove level crossings at Manchester Road, Mooroolbark and Maroondah Highway, Lilydale. Detailed design work is in progress to incorporate community feedback in to the recently released concept designs. Construction will begin mid-2020 and be completed in 2022.

QUEENSLAND

Lendlease has been appointed as managing contractor for the $176 million upgrade and expansion of Cairns Convention Centre. The expansion will include space for 30 exhibitors’ booths, three meeting rooms, a flat floor space for 450 people and a rooftop banqueting space for 410 people. Planning has now commenced and construction is expected to take place in May 2020 for completion in 2022.

McNab has been named the preferred builder to design and construct the $59.9 million Sunshine Coast City Hall at Maroochydore city centre. The 10-level A-grade building will comprise approximately 9,400m 2 gross floor area and will house 600 council employees and is designed with a 5 Star NABERS rating target and 5 Star Green Star rating target.

The Forest Wind Project to be built in the Wide Bay region will be one of the largest wind farms in the southern hemisphere with up to 1,200MW of wind turbines and valued up to $2 billion. The project is being developed by Forest Wind Holdings, a joint venture between CleanSight and investor Siemens Financial Services. The project is being advanced as part of the Queensland Government’s investment facilitation initiative, administered by the Queensland Government's Investment Facilitation and Partnerships Group.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

A tender for improved visitor services at Nitmiluk National Park has been awarded to Katherine Constructions Pty Ltd. The $1.08 million upgrade will include construction of new stairs crafted from natural rock, expanding the Baruwei lookout and construction of a new lookout at the halfway point on the stairs.

Tenders have been released for demolition of the Chan Building, which is part of the Civic and State Square Masterplan redevelopment, a keystone of the $200 million Darwin City Deal revitalisation of the Darwin CBD, to be delivered in partnership with the Australian and NT Governments and the City of Darwin. The Darwin City deal will also include the construction of a new Charles Darwin University campus and student accommodation in the CBD.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide City Council will partner with Melbourne developer ICD Property to deliver a $400 million upgrade of Adelaide Central Market. The arcade redevelopment, designed by Woods Bagot, will comprise over 8,000m 2 of space which will include retail, food and beverage, a child care centre, a central public hall, rooftop gardens, education spaces, a hotel, 35-storey apartment tower and offices. The arches to the former Grote Street facade which was partially demolished in the 1960s will be reinstated and biodiverse roof terraces are planned as a green hub.

The first stage of the huge Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park will now proceed this year upon Spanish company Iberdrola investing $500 million in its first Australian project. Developer DP Energy is expected to appoint an EPC contractor as early as next month. The hybrid 320MW wind and solar project now comprises 100MW of solar and 210MW wind generated from 50 turbines with a tip height of 185m, following a recent variation to the development approval. The first stage only was sold to Iberdrola, with DP Energy retaining ownership of a second stage which will comprise further solar and a big battery.

Under a Public Private Partnership delivery agreement, The TESA Education consortium comprising Tetris Capital, Dutch Infrastructure Fund, Sarah Construction and ISS Services has been awarded a $470 million contract to design, construct and maintain two new schools in Aldinga and Angle Vale. Both the southern and northern schools will be new Birth to Year 12 (B- 12) schools to accommodate up to 1,675 students, including 100 inclusive places for students with a disability and a 75 place children’s centre.

TASMANIA

A development application has been submitted for the $350 million Jim’s Plain Renewable Energy Park. The UPC Renewables’ project will see the construction of up to 31 wind turbines and solar with a capacity of up to 240MW. Construction is planned to start in 2021, subject to approval.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Scanlan Architects has designed a $100 million integrated resort complex at Jurien Bay. The proposal will include high and low rise residential apartments, a luxury hotel with roof top pool, within eight separate buildings ranging from four to eleven storeys on a site which formerly housed a lobster processing facility. There will also be a tavern, two restaurants, day spa and up to 20 retail and five commercial office tenancies and an outdoor movie theatre seating up to 300 people. 5 Star Green Star ESD principles will incorporate extensive solar and wind power generations systems.

The McGowan Government has announced a spend of over $116 million for five new primary schools for the 2022 school year in Burns Beach, Wellard, Alkimos, Piara Waters and Treeby. Local architects TAG Architects, Cox Architecture, Carabiner, Christou Design Group and Oldfield Knott Architects have been appointed to design the schools.

Horizon Power has announced that Contract Power Australia has been awarded a Power Purchase Agreement for the supply of electricity to Esperance from 2020, extending for 20 years. The Esperance Power Project will be constructed in the Shark Lake industrial area, comprising a new gas power station with a battery energy storage system, and a renewable energy hub providing enough solar and wind power to generate up to 46% of Esperance’s electricity. The 4MW solar farm will comprise more than 10,000 solar panels and the wind component will comprise two 4.3MW wind turbines.

The Western Australian Government has announced funding to Hydro to support a feasibility study for a hydrogen production facility at the Ord Hydro Power Station near Kununurra. ATCO Australia has also received funding for a feasibility study for the Clean Energy Innovation Park, a 10MW electrolysis hydrogen production plant in the Great Southern or Wheatbelt region.

For more information contact CoreLogic, Level 21, 2 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000, phone 1300 734 318, fax 1300 881 674, website www.corelogic.com.au

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