For the Australian Defence, BESIX Watpac has successfully delivered a complex Integrated Weapons Facility (IWF) at Orchard Hills, outside Sydney. Officially opened on 5 April by Minister for Defence Peter Dutton, he described the facility as a “world first for its inherent safety and functionality”.
The defence industry, and in particular the Australian Army, is a key client of BESIX Watpac. To this day, the company has completed more than 30 defence projects in the country and has a solid and recognised expertise in this field, a demanding sector with its own specificities.
The project included the construction of an administration area with a mix of offices, meeting rooms and secure communications room, two Weapon Assembly Rooms with specialist workshops for the safe handling, inspection, and maintenance of guided weapons, and four reinforced concrete test cells. BESIX Watpac with support from local contractors also completed the landscaping, infrastructure and supporting services including integration of communications and safety systems with the existing Base infrastructure.
Mark Baker, CEO of BESIX Watpac: “Our commitment to excellence, attention to detail and our social procurement processes have all contributed to the successful delivery of this facility. I’d like to thank our trade partners and our staff for the outstanding work they have done on this project. They have worked around the clock during a global pandemic, to deliver above client expectations.”
The construction process was marked by strong performance in many areas:
- In terms of safety, the project recorded no lost time injuries for over 450,000 hours worked.
- Local procurement targets were exceeded, with 95% of subcontracted work carried out by companies based within 50 kilometres.
- Indigenous procurement targets were achieved at 5.6%, well above the original commitment of 4%.
- Special measures were put in place to protect the flora and fauna of the surrounding ecological area.
A remarkably successful project, which illustrates the quality of BESIX Watpac's expertise and the esteem in which it is held by particularly demanding clients!
