Our clients for this project were the City of Greater Geelong (Council), Geelong Football Club, Australian Football League and the Department of Sport & Recreation.

The redevelopment includes design and construction of the new five level eastern stand for approximately 6000 spectators, including corporate areas, catering facilities, and AFL game day facilities.

In addition to the new stand a number of ancillary projects were undertaken in parallel across the stadium including construction of a new elite gym, new stadium entrances, new Sports House, new offices for the GFC football department, and a new membership and retail outlet for the GFC.

Council lead the stakeholder team as ‘banker’ and had a keen interest in the works. In addition to the redevelopment scope Council were keen to ensure the remaining areas of the facility were bought up to a standard of compliance for essential services, structure, and maintenance.

The GFC closely monitored all elements of the works where they hold exclusive rights, such as the new eastern stand, GFC office and administration areas, as well as the AFL areas. The scope of the redevelopment was closely linked to the GFC business plan which meant outcomes had to be achieved to ensure the ongoing success of the club.

SRV closely monitored the ‘community benefit’ provided by the project including development of ‘Sports House’ which will act as an incubator for local sporting groups, and the new gym where local athletes can train side by side with the GFC.

Davis Langdon is performing the role of Project Manager. This role has been particularly complex as a result of the fast-track timeline and staging requirements necessitated by the AFL season, the involvement of four stakeholder groups, and the limited budget, taking into consideration the desired project scope.

These issues have resulted in extensive planning, including the evaluation of numerous procurement strategies, the identification of ‘core’ and ‘discretionary’ project scope, and the facilitation of a fast-tracked design programme to achieve the required timelines.

The AFL has a detailed brief that all AFL facilities are required to meet. Close consultation with the AFL ensured their outcomes were achieved in a practical and efficient manner.