Kardinia Park Stage 5 Redevelopment

A new era is beginning in Geelong with the completion of Stage 5 of the Kardinia Park (GMHBA Stadium) Redevelopment – the culmination of a massive, 5-stage program of works over the last 20 years. The Kardinia Park precinct and stadium is home to the Geelong Football Club and hosts a variety of world-class sporting events, as well as concerts, functions and community events.  

AN EVER-EVOLVING ASSET

The area has brought leisure, entertainment and sports to the Geelong region for close to 150 years, when it opened as a park and then transformed into a zoo, a motorcycle speedway and finally a stadium by 1941. Since then, the stadium and precinct has continually evolved through redevelopments and upgrades that have extended its capacity and kept pace with modern standards and requirements. 

Stage 5 of the Kardinia Park Redevelopment (GMHBA Stadium) has added new lower and upper bowl seating tiers to extend the stadium capacity to 40,000 spectators. A 5-lane Indoor Cricket Hub and sports museum have also been added, as well as new facilities to better accommodate female teams. 

DE-RISKING STAGE 5

Having supported previous stages of the redevelopment, WT was brought on board alongside KPST to provide expert cost planning and value management services for Stage 5, establishing scope parameters and deliverables that would be feasible within the $142m project budget. This included feasibility, schematic design, design development and pre-tender cost plans, life cycle cost analysis, tender evaluation and award, contingency management plans, risk modelling analysis, post-contract reporting, variation assessments and financial reporting for the funding facility. 

WT added value to the client and wider stakeholders by identifying and isolating scope increases and the potential for budget overruns, which are critical risks in a project such as this. We worked productively alongside the design team to facilitate all desired inclusions while ensuring that the deliverables could be achieved within the target construction budget. Our wealth of industry knowledge and holistic benchmarked data were integral to achieving this success. 

We were also engaged to complete cost management services to track financial expenditure for the Stage 5 Funding Facility, and to monitor and acutely forecast contingency modelling for the viability and duration of the construction phase.  

COVID HITS THE INDUSTRY

The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Victoria hard, destabilised the construction industry and brought unprecedented market inflation. In this constantly changing environment, our innovation of contingency forecast modelling enabled unforeseen circumstances affecting the project to be accurately forecasted and sustained without requiring additional contingency relief.  

This was achieved while maintaining contractor and consultant industry relations in an unprecedented and difficult period which saw the project encounter significant programming delays as a result of contractor procurement and global disruptions, like many other projects during this challenging time. 

While these delays had the potential to financially disturb the project, successful monitoring of the project contingency not only assured financial stability but also enabled key additional scope to be added, including enhancement of the internal fitout, multiple client procurement items and boosting the integration of local Indigenous heritage into the facility and surrounding landscape. This was a beneficial outcome for our client and the project stakeholders, enhancing the experience of this world-class facility.  

KICK-OFF TIME ARRIVES AT KARDINIA

By providing expert quantity surveying, cost planning and cost management services, WT helped navigate the complex requirements of the Kardinia Park redevelopment during a volatile period in the industry. Our involvement was crucial in adhering to the high standards of cost reporting and financial risk management expected in high-profile projects of this nature, and demonstrates our deep understanding of the technical challenges to be solved on the path success. 

With this project now complete, in time for the start of the 2024 football season, the growing region of Geelong can proudly boast one of the biggest and best multipurpose facilities in regional Australia, ready to boost the regional economy and bring joy to the community and visitors for many generations to come.