Building starts at college

The upgrade of Woy Woy campus of Brisbane Water Secondary College began yesterday (November 3) with builders erecting safety fences.

The $5 million project is to be constructed by ACH Clifford and is due to be completed in September next year.

"The developnent application went through late last year," college principal Mr Pat Lewis said.

"An extensive meeting took place last Thursday to begin planning for the commencement of the building works on both campuses."

Five million dollars will be spent on Stage 1 which will provide Woy Woy Campus with a new administration block on the current Edward St car park and new car parks between the new block and the cricket nets and in front of Technology Futures.

It will involve the conversion of current administration blocks to a special education centre and a careers centre, and extensive drainage works adjacent to new works and the hall.

At Umina Campus, there will be a new human movement studio, performance workshop and change rooms on the grassed area adjacent to the bike compound.

There will be new covered outdoor learning areas scattered around the campus including on the farm, lining of the farm classrooms, new covered hard courts adjacent to the existing science block.

"A team consisting of personnel from Department of Education and Training Properties, Department of Commerce (formerly Department of Public Works), the builder and the college will oversee the works," Mr Lewis said.

The college will be represented by the two campus principals and the college principal.

Mr Lewis will be project manager for the college.

"If any member of the college community has any questions or concerns related to the works, these should be referred to me either through your campus principal, or to me directly," Mr Lewis said.

"These can then be taken up with the appropriate partner in the works or with the overseeing team.

"The first stage of the works will involve the builder in further planning, obtaining materials, and arranging contractors and will occupy the next few weeks," said Mr Lewis.

"Once fences are erected the area within them becomes the sole property of the builder until the buildings are handed over.

"Hard hats and steel capped work boots will be obligatory for anyone visiting the site."

At the Woy Woy campus, the works will begin with the construction of the car park in front of Technology Futures.

"This will mean that staff will then have somewhere to park when the current car park is fenced off for the new admin block."

This will be followed by construction of the new admin block, and then the refurbishment of the current admin block.

Mr Lewis said the builders had been notified of key dates for exams in the hall and will not be doing construction on those days.

"This mainly concerns the School Certificate exams as the major HSC exams will be over by the start of construction," he said.

At the Umina campus, the main construction will be the human movement studio and this will require moving the bike compound to the front of the library.

The fencing of the construction area and the regular movement of trucks onto and off the site will mean that staff who park near the bike compound and near the waste bin will have to park elsewhere while construction is occurring.

Space will be available adjacent to and behind the Science block.

"While construction is occurring there will be inconvenience but the end result will be much-needed better facilities which should lift the morale of us all," Mr Lewis said.

"It's great to see it finally under way."

Press release, October 29