Archive for year: 2021

Local Territory construction company Halikos has been awarded the contract to build the new Charles Darwin University (CDU) Education and Community Precinct in Darwin’s central business district.

The $190.1 million agreement Design and Construct contract is for the construction of the main building, its complete fit-out as operating education and office spaces, and the landscaping of the public areas.

The $250 million project and centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal is a partnership between the Federal Government, the Northern Territory Government and Charles Darwin University (CDU).

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP said the Commonwealth was focused on funding critical infrastructure projects that will help drive economic growth across the city.

“The new Charles Darwin University precinct is the centrepiece of the $320 million Darwin City Deal and will help shape the culture and vibrancy of the city for future generations,” Minister Fletchers said.

“Once complete, this project will have created more than 700 jobs, helped to diversify the local economy and elevated Darwin’s competitiveness in the international education sector.”

Northern Territory Minister for Jobs and Training, the Hon Paul Kirby MLA, said the new precinct will benefit local businesses and tradies while creating a more vibrant city centre.  

“This is the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal and forecast to inject $600 million into our economy, with the construction phase delivering 730 jobs,” Minister Kirby said. 

“The project is already delivering a significant number of local jobs and at the peak of construction it’s expected up to 260 workers will be on-site each day.”

Federal Senator for the Northern Territory, Dr Sam McMahon, said the project was an ongoing investment in the local economy.

“The new precinct will boost foot traffic through our CBD and activate the area by supporting pop-up community activities such as food trucks and events,” Dr McMahon said.

CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman AO said once complete, the new precinct will establish Darwin as a true city of education.

“This precinct will be a gateway into the city and make the statement that Darwin is the leading location for education studies and scientific research in Northern Australia,” Professor Bowman said.

“This new campus will deliver state-of-the-art facilities to support our students and will provide Territory businesses with the skilled workforce they need now and into the future.”

Halikos Managing Director, Shane Dignan, said the company was proud to be awarded the contract for the construction of CDU’s new city campus. 

“The Education and Community Precinct will elevate our Darwin CBD and Halikos, as a local Territory company is honoured to have the opportunity to be involved in such a transformative project,” Mr Dignan said.  

“Halikos is heavily invested in the Darwin community and we will work with local consultants, subcontractors and suppliers to deliver this world-class university campus and community precinct.”

Halikos was appointed earlier in the project to work with the Precinct’s Principal Design Consultant to complete the detailed design work and then submit a price to CDU for the finalisation of the design and construction. 

In partnership with the Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC), who are the Traditional Owners of the land, Halikos will provide Indigenous employment opportunities throughout the project.

Once complete in 2024, the precinct will house CDU’s Asia Pacific College of Business and Law; disciplines of the College of Indigenous Futures, Education and the Arts; Information Technology; and the university’s International College and Art Gallery. 

The new precinct will provide a modern city campus for CDU, a new purpose-built home for the Northern Territory Library, vibrant community spaces and more than 230 underground car parks. 

Final designs for Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) new Education and Community Precinct have been unveiled with final approvals now in place and construction set to start.

The $250 million project is the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal and is a partnership of the Australian and Northern Territory governments and Charles Darwin University.

The project received conditional development approval in July last year and has now received the green light to proceed to construction.

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the new precinct would provide a modern city campus for CDU, and a new purpose-built home for the Northern Territory Library and event spaces.

“This is a significant project for Darwin and the centrepiece of the $320 million Darwin City Deal, which is a 10-year plan to position Darwin as a vibrant and liveable tropical city with a diversified economy,” Minister Fletcher said.

“The Morrison Government has committed $97.3 million towards the new campus, which will include state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, an art gallery and library that will be enjoyed by the local community and help boost Darwin’s competitiveness in the international education sector.”

The design features a striking facade designed to provide the best solar access to the heritage-listed Boab Tree on site, green wall elements and will host Northern Territory and CDU Libraries and the university’s Art Gallery.

The Boab Tree is the focal point of the design, creating a new public gathering space for the people of Darwin. The design caters to the Boab, with a sloping façade to ensure the tree is not overshadowed and gets enough sunlight, supporting the continued long life of this special city landmark.

The façade design by the Precinct’s architects, MODE, features a variety of landscaped terraces and sunshades as well as an old Darwin favourite – louvres – to best manage the heat load. These features manage the reflection off the building while maximising light and views inside.

Northern Territory Minister for Jobs and Training, the Hon Paul Kirby MLA, Northern Territory Minister for Jobs and Training, the Hon Paul Kirby MLA, said the Precinct will benefit local businesses and tradies while creating a more vibrant city centre.

“This Precinct is the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal and forecast to inject $600 million into our economy, with the construction phase delivering 730 jobs,” Minister Kirby said.

“We want to boost the number of visitors coming into our CBD and this Precinct will also offer innovative learning areas, 232 underground car parking spaces, landscaped green space and the ability to support pop up community activities such as food trucks and events.”

Federal Senator for the Northern Territory, Dr Sam McMahon, said the new education and community precinct will attract students and business to the city centre.

“The precinct will integrate education and community facilities, as well as commercial and public spaces,” Senator McMahon said.

“Halikos has had workers on site since the start of the week in order to get as much work completed to avoid any further delays due to the wet season. As a result of this construction and other Federal Government work, Halikos is also now looking to expand its current staffing levels and is actively seeking more construction workers. This type of project creates jobs to keep our economy going in these times.”

The project team took the public feedback on the original design on board and spent many hours refining the design and addressing issues ranging from stormwater runoff to the aesthetics of the façade.

CDU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Scott Bowman, said the new campus would help cement Darwin as Northern Australia’s centre of education.

“This new campus will be the jewel in the revitalised Education and Community Precinct – supporting future jobs, education, new investment and future research,” Professor Bowman said.

“Being at the centre of this new precinct will help Charles Darwin University train and educate more Territorians – helping them get the skills and experiences they need to thrive in their local communities.”

The project team has collaborated with Darwin City Deal’s CSIRO Darwin Living Lab, another Darwin City Deal initiative, to make the building as energy efficient as possible and to ensure it is liveable and resilient in the face of Darwin’s hot climate.

National and international sustainability rating systems have been used by the design team for benchmarking to inform the selection of sustainability initiatives for the project.

Once complete at the end of 2023, the Precinct will house CDU’s Asia Pacific College of Business and Law, the College of Indigenous Futures, Education and the Arts, IT teaching, the university’s International College and Art Gallery.

Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) new city campus has reached a significant milestone this week with the excavation for the main Education and Community Precinct building completed ahead of schedule.

Carried out by Darwin business DTA Contractors, the excavation involved digging a 73-metre-wide and 71-metre-long hole to a depth of seven metres to accommodate a two-level basement carpark.

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the new precinct is the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal.

“The new precinct is one of the most significant construction projects in Darwin for a long time, delivering state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, an art gallery and library that will open up remarkable opportunities for students and the broader community,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Territorians will continue to see new jobs and more cash flowing across local businesses as we continue to progress projects under the Darwin City Deal.”

Northern Territory Minister for Jobs and Training, the Hon Paul Kirby MLA, said the project is a major win for local jobs and the NT economy.

“The Education Precinct is the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal, with the construction phase delivering 730 jobs, and the precinct forecast to provide a $600million boost to our economy,” Minister Kirby said.

“It is also backing local business and keeping Territory tradies in jobs – and this is why this precinct is so important for the Territory’s economic comeback.

“We need to get more people into the heart of our city and position Darwin as a world-class spot to study, upskill and reskill.”

Senator for Northern Territory, Senator Dr Sam McMahon, said all on-site works have been delivered by Territory businesses so far, with excavation alone supporting the employment of 50 local workers.

“I am very pleased to see this exciting project for Darwin is already providing local job opportunities, which means much-needed employment and economic stimulus for the Territory at such a critical time in our recovery from the impacts of COVID-19,” Senator McMahon said.

“The progress already made is nothing short of spectacular and a sign of the transformational impacts this Deal is having, with excavation alone removing 37,170 cubic metres of soil from the site, which is the equivalent of more than 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools.”

CDU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Scott Bowman AO, said being in the heart of the city means the university will become more accessible for the community and important stakeholders in government and business.

“Increasing engagement with the local community with a city campus is a priority for the university,” Professor Bowman said.

“So many of the Darwin community have or are attending CDU, and it is a lot easier to keep that bond with the local community if we are right in the middle of the city promoting our work and specialities.”

Detailed design of the project is being finalised, and CDU and consultant partners are working together to meet the conditions of its development approval.

The construction phase of the project is expected to begin in the middle of the year and run until late 2023.

Once complete, the Precinct will house CDU’s Asia Pacific College of Business and Law, the College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, IT teaching, the university’s International College and Art Gallery.