SOWA, Base Radio Station / Antenna Farm & Engineer’s precinct, Holsworthy

WT were engaged by Australian Government Department of Defence to provide full quantity surveying services, including cost planning, full tender and post contract administration services through the construction phase to final account for the proposed facilities at Tobruk Line, Holsworthy.

The SOWA (Special Operations Working Accommodation) project covered approximately 31 hectares and included the provision of approximately 73 new and refurbished buildings and structures, totalling over 56,000 square metres. These facilities were provided to accommodate and cater for the varied working requirements of Defence’s Holsworthy-based Incident Response Regiment (IRR) and 4RAR (Royal Australian Regiment).

The scope of work included extensive ecologically-controlled bush clearing and earthwork activities followed by the construction of training and lecture facilities, vehicle workshops, armouries, stores facilities, medical facilities, administration offices, vehicle shelters, an antenna farm, security facilities and a range of other special purpose buildings. Also included was some demolition and refurbishment work, redirection of existing in-ground services, provision of new in-ground services, landscaping works and the provision of extensive road and pavement works throughout the precinct.

An intricate scheme of staging and decanting was implemented to ensure that operations of the affected Defence units could continue without interruption throughout the project delivery period.