Expressions Newsletter - ATP Community Newsletter - Special Edition 23 September 2005

Park Development Underway

The Redfern-Waterloo Authority will commence construction of the first new building for five years at the ATP in early 2006, signalling the start of a major new phase in the Park’s development.

WITH CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING TO HOUSE NICTA/DSTO GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT’S APPROVAL OF THE NEW ATP MASTER PLAN AND APPROVAL ANTICIPATED FOR ADDITIONAL ROADS AND A NEW MAIN ENTRANCE, AN EXCITING PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE PARK IS ABOUT TO GET UNDERWAY.”

MINISTERS LAUNCH NEW MULTI-MILLION RESEARCH BUILDING

Friday, September 23, a special media event was held on Site D, which will be the location of a new multi-million dollar research building at the ATP. Officially launching the go-ahead for construction of the facility was NSW Minister for Redfern-Waterloo and Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor MP, Federal Minister for Communications, IT and The Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, and Member for Heffron, Kristina Keneally MP.

A NSW Treasury loan of $47m to the Redfern-Waterloo Authority (RWA) will allow the construction of Building D to house Commonwealth research agencies – National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) and the Defence, Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).

The six storey building is expected to be completed by mid-2007, with NICTA to occupy the top three levels, and DSTO the three lower levels.

“Once completed, it will provide space for around 600 research and support staff,” Senator Coonan said. “This will significantly improve the high technology research capabilities in NSW.”

“The aim of the ATP is to maintain a strong focus on industry development and attract valuable investment opportunities to NSW,” said Mr Sartor.

“The work carried out by these two organisations fits well with this aim and will help to drive Australian innovation,” Senator Coonan said. “This building promises to change the whole character of the Park and I commend and congratulate everyone involved.”

“This has been made possible by the approved new Master Plan and the Government’s Redfern-Waterloo development strategy,” said Robert Domm, Managing Director, ATP. “The RWA is developing and managing this project and it’s occurring as part of a much broader urban renewal process.”

“This is the first new building to be constructed at the ATP in five years, and with the new Master Plan, and approval pending for the new roads and landscaping, this building is another step towards the Park becoming a major innovation centre for Sydney.”

Images of the new building, along with planned road developments and the ATP Master Plan are now on display near the café in Bay 8.

Photo: Paul Gosney : FRANK SARTOR MP, SENATOR HELEN COONAN, & KRISTINA KENEALLY MP, OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING THE GO-AHEAD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE FACILITY

NEW ERA FOR NICTA

“ IT WILL BE AN ICONIC FACILITY FOR ICT NOT ONLY IN NSW, BUT IN AUSTRALIA ”

Established in 2002, NICTA (National Information and Communications Technology Australia) is one of Australia’s leading IT and communications companies and plays a major role in the Australian Government’s policy to promote science and innovation.

Headquartered at the ATP since early 2003, NICTA will relocate its Sydney research headquarters to the top three floors of the new building in 2007.

 “Accommodation will be provided for about 250 ICT researchers, research assistants, PhD students, corporate staff, and specialised ICT research laboratory facilities,” said NICTA CEO, Dr David Skellern. “Our fit out is designed to promote communication and collaboration amongst staff, with open plan walkways, break out zones that facilitate team discussions, meeting, training and seminar facilities, and an internal stair that connects each floor. Part of the facility will provide accommodation for NICTA spin-out companies, joint venture projects, and demonstrators.”

Capitalising on Australia’s extensive ICT talent through world class research, commercialisation, education and industry collaboration, NICTA will bring together exceptional people from research and industry to continue developing an ICT research centre of excellence that generates national wealth.

“We are very excited about the new building,” Dr Skellern said. “It will be an iconic facility for ICT not only in NSW, but in Australia.”

The first three floors of Building D have been leased to DSTO – the Commonwealth Department of Defence, Science and Technology.

DSTO is Australia’s leading science agency dedicated to defence and national security and works closely with the industry, science and technology community to enhance its ability to support Australia’s defence capabilities and contribute to national wealth.

Headed by Chief Defence Scientist, Dr Roger Lough, DSTO employs around 2300 staff, predominantly scientists, engineers, IT specialists and technicians in nearly every State and Territory. Its corporate office is located at Defence headquarters in Canberra with research facilities in Melbourne, Edinburgh (near Adelaide), Canberra, Sydney, Rockingham (near Perth), Scottsdale in Tasmania and Innisfail, North Queensland. www.dsto.defence.gov.au  

The contract for construction of the new building goes to tender this month (October 2005) and is expected to be awarded early in the New Year. Construction is slated to begin shortly after and due for completion mid-2007.

“This new building will create around 600 new jobs,” said Director of Urban Renewal RWA, Richard Clarke. “And construction will be in accordance with the Redfern-Waterloo Jobs Compact, employing local indigenous people and new apprentices as a key element,” said Mr Clark.

Designed by Cox Richardson Architects, it will be located on the Park’s eastern edge with frontages to Garden Street and Mitchell Way, occupying approx. 3,000sqm and providing just over 11,000sqm of floor space with 66 secure parking spaces.

The design will have a 4.5 Star rating under the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating scheme (ABGR). 4.5 is the benchmark for all new NSW Government buildings.

Energy consumption is obviously affected by how tenants conduct their business. Fortunately, ATP tenants have environmental values aligned with those of the Park, so confidence is high that the building will perform to expectations.

Other environmentally sustainable initiatives will also be incorporated into the construction including the use of recyclable materials where possible and double plumbing for future water reuse initiatives.

The remaining four percent of ground floor space has been designated for a café and retail/services space, which will be of benefit to a business wanting to make its services available to those who work within the park, to local residents and to commuters.

The RWA and ATP are encouraging best practice throughout the Park, setting the tone for future development by pointing to this landmark building and saying:

“If we can do it, anyone can.”

Contact:
Richard Clark
Director Development and Urban Renewal
Redfern-Waterloo Authority
T: +61 2 9202 9100

NEW & APPROVED ATP MASTER PLAN

Master Plan Vision

“TO ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED

WORLD CLASS TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS CENTRE AIMED AT BUILDING GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS IN KEY GROWTH SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.”

The ATP Master Plan contains objectives and guidelines for the provision of development within the Park and the new ATP Master Plan, approved in June this year, includes the following revisions:

• Moving the position of the main access point to Henderson Road to form a complete intersection and deletion of some internal roads

• Providing for a consolidated parking basement rather than individual basements under buildings

• Altering the details of open space and public domain treatment

• Providing for an increase in the area of public recreation space

These revisions were the result of an extensive community consultation program undertaken by the ATP to test the vision for the ATP’s future development. Two workshops were held, one for Community members, the other for ATP tenants.

Richard Clark, Director Urban Renewal - Redfern-Waterloo Authority, says the two groups had very different ideas about what the future development at the ATP should provide.

“For the local community, ATP is special because of its historical significance, its provision of open, public space for recreation, and its potential to become a quality, well maintained development that generates employment and provides a sense of ownership and pride for the residents of Redfern,” said Mr Clark.

Tenants were more focused on the need to establish a unique status for the ATP as a technology community with links to the broader scientific research and development community, in academia and in industry.

The vision and the amended Master Plan for the development of the ATP should enable the continuing establishment of research and development activities on the site but also recognise the value of the site and its operations to the local community.

“Both viewpoints are valid, and it’s our (ATP’s) job to develop the park in a way that meets all our stakeholders’ expectations,” Mr Clark said. “That’s the only way everyone will view the end result as a success.”

A graphic interpretation of the built form of the site is on display in Bay 8.

NEW MAIN ENTRANCE & ROAD WORKS DESIGN FOR NEW MAIN ENTRANCE & ROAD WORKS AS PER NEW ATP MASTER PLAN

The development application for new roads at the ATP has been lodged and, following approval and the tendering process, construction is expected to start early in 2006 and scheduled for completion within six months. The application includes provision for a new main entrance to the Park with a road to be constructed (called Davy Road) from the intersection of Henderson and Mitchell Roads to Central Avenue, west of the Biomedical building. Garden Street will become a secondary entrance.

In accordance with the ATP Master Plan, road names have generally been chosen to recognise important people and activities in the development of the historic railway use of the site. Davy Road, for example, is named after the famous ‘Davy Press.’ Dating from the early 20th century, this was a machine for manufacturing train wheels and is on display in the Locomotive Workshop exhibition space.

Other road works will include an extension of Locomotive Street through to Alexander Street. Central Avenue will also be extended, ending in a cul-de-sac at the rear of the Childcare Centre. There will also be modifications to the Henderson/Mitchell Road intersection as a result of the new road, along with in-ground services, street lights and road corridor landscaping.

For status of the new roads project, the new ATP Master Plan and proposed buildings, an information board is on display near the café seating in Bay 8.

Contact:
Eugene Besh
Eugene.besh@atp.com.au
T: (02) 8374 5601

Expression, the ATP Community newsletter, is published once a month. Contributions and advertisements are welcome from members of the ATP Community. Please submit your copy by the Monday of the last full week of each month to: s.ricardo@atp.com.au

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The publishers reserve the right to edit any material to fit space available. Not all opinions and ideas expressed in the newsletter are that of the ATP management.