Development Application APPROVED!

The Development Application for new accommodation received the green light today. For more information check out the New Accommodation website http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/accommodation/new-student-accommodation/

 

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to everyone who commented on the construction management issues. The responses have been collated and passed on to the Project Team. A list of FAQs related to construction will be posted on the new student accommodation web page in 2012.

Security and Privacy

My major concern is that more people will travel through the accommodation precinct to watch the development of the new accommodation or in some cases steal building supplies. Will there be more University security or even an external company for this site?

This issue then also leads into privacy for the residents. What actions will be taken to uphold the current level of privacy that residents have?

Please add comments to this to voice your input on these topics!

I have concerns about air and noise pollution, and traffic.

My biggest concerns are those around traffic/parking and the air/noise pollution. As I am a resident who lives on campus and will be living here during the summer, these things will majorly affect me. I want to make sure that I’m not going to have to listen to jackhammers and bulldozers at 6am in the morning or 10pm at night. Another problem is that of air pollution. The college I live in will be very close to the site and I am worried about the dust that will be filling the air. Not only will I have to be careful when I’m outside of my building (to keep from breathing too much of it in), but inside as well. I want to know what is going to be done to protect the air conditioning system at my building that could possibly suck up the excess dust and pump it through into my room.  Does my system have a proper filtering system to keep that from happening? Will the excess dust cause the system at my building to work harder with all that dust in its filters and possibly cause breakdowns? My other major concern will definitely be that of parking and traffic on campus. During the summer months when the majority of the students and some of the staff are away it may not be too bad. This project however will be one that takes a couple of years to finish and that means that during the main semester periods there will be even more trouble with parking on campus. We’ll have an additional “who knows how many” people on campus for the construction. There will be countless extra workers vehicles, construction vehicles, and heavy equipment parked on the campus lots. What does that do for those of us who have to live here and for those students from off campus who have to drive here? It’s already a nightmare finding a place to park for most people, this will make it even worse. What are the plans for handling this? Does the University or the construction company have a plan in place to allow for all of this? Will it be one that keeps the students from having even more difficulties than usual? Along those same lines what will happen with the flow of traffic on the campus if there are big construction vehicles driving around and blocking the roads at times? I also wonder if the University has taken into consideration what the heavy equipment may do to the condition of the roads on campus when they are driving on them? How often will it be torn up and have to be patched by the maintenance staff? These are just a few of the concerns I would like to be considered in the tender and feedback given by the people responsible.

UoN blog for new accommodation – tell us your concerns

The University is asking all students and staff to share their thoughts about the construction works on the new student accommodation project.

We are hoping this site can provide a constructive way to collect your feedback on key issues we anticipate will affect you during construction.  If successful we will also continue to use this space to provide you with information about the project to get your comments.

The experts working on this project have a good idea of what to expect from previous experience but we’d like your voice heard in the whole process.  Constructive comments will be considered for the tender requirements in the contractors construction management plan.