Department for Human Services, Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre

Specialist Security Items

Sarah was required to use mandated products and materials selected to enhance security and the safety and well-being of young people and the Centre’s personnel.

The project team leveraged the expertise of the architect’s personnel and specialist suppliers and contractors who had delivered several previous secure facilities.

While several specialised items including locks and beds had to be sourced from overseas, Sarah’s team prioritised the ordering of these items, and programmed works to suit the procurement schedule.

Sarah invested significant time with subcontractors to ensure they understand the mandated items and construction methodologies to eliminate costly rework.

Modular Construction in an Operational Environment

While the other buildings were construct only, Sarah was tasked with both the design and construction of Building D – the Centre’s new learning environment.

Design and construction were ably managed by Sarah’s in-house modular team, with a program driven by installation over two weeks of the school holidays.

As the building could not be trucked into the secure, constrained site, Sarah’s team designed two crane pads on a bordering road and worked closely with subcontractors and the local council to complete comprehensive lift studies.

Using a 230T crane, Sarah’s team lifted the building components over the 8-metre perimeter walls to land them between existing buildings.

Internal works were completed in time for the commencement of school in 2024.

Managing Design Variations

In total, more than 190 variations were requested by the client or the architect over the course of delivery, as all parties worked together to achieve a high-quality, fit-for-purpose outcome.

The delivery team carefully managed all requests for information, leveraging Sarah’s in-house engineering expertise to enhance solutions.

Frequent, regular site meetings with all stakeholders, and a commitment to clear and open communication allowed works to proceed as scheduled.

Specialised Subcontractor Management

The project required extensive management of subcontractors due to the specialised nature of custom security components, many of which were difficult to procure.

With limited availability on these unique items, the team worked closely with both suppliers and subcontractors to ensure that the critical elements were delivered on time and to the required specifications.

The project team’s ability to foresee potential delays and actively engage with subcontractors to manage supply ensured the project’s timeline remained on track.

Working within an Operational Correctional Facility

While Sarah’s teams are highly experienced delivering works in busy, live environments, working within the boundaries of a correctional facility required a new level of planning and communication with the Centre’s personnel.

Buildings A and B were delivered within the site perimeters, but completely segregated from the Centre’s daily activities by specially designed security fencing, that was three months in the planning and installation.

With Buildings C and D having direct adjacencies with personnel and young people, internal hoardings were installed to completely segregate construction, and noise generating works were limited to out of business and school hours to keep disruption to a minimum.

Sarah’s site personnel maintained a transparent relationship with the Centre’s security team and provided advance notice of impactful works.

Overcoming Site and Security Challenges

The main entry to the Centre is through a sally port; a secure controlled entry, which was not large enough for semi-trailers to access the site.

Sarah’s team worked with suppliers and subcontractors to ensure that all loads were delivered by smaller vehicles.

With buildings A and B designed with large concrete panels, the team worked with the architect and the precast manufacturer to redesign the panels to be delivered on smaller vehicles and reinstated with the same quality outcomes.

Value Management Outcomes

Sarah’s team conducted a thorough value management exercise during the project’s tender phase, including redesigning Building D as modular infrastructure as opposed to a conventional in situ building – an innovation that reduced cost, time, and risk.

As variations were proposed, Sarah’s team identified a range of suitable material alternatives and construction methodologies to reduce project costs.

In addition to the $150,000 saved by modular construction, Sarah also identified more than $230,000 savings by redesigning window shrouds and masonry techniques.

Construction Pathways Program for Young People

Sarah is always seeking opportunities to give back to people and the organisations that provide the social licence to operate, and this project enabled Sarah’s team to work directly with the Centre’s young people through a Construction Pathways Program.

Sarah’s personnel designed and hosted a careers presentation to discuss pathways into the construction industry and led site tours at different stages of the works.

Sarah and the landscaping contractor worked with several young people to mentor a group to design, plan, procure and deliver a duck pond project (partly funded by the Sarah Foundation).

Another young person worked on site for three months with the bricklaying team.

Meeting Local Industry Participation and Social Procurement Targets

This project required Sarah to meet local industry participation and social procurement targets, including:

• 5% of the contract value to be spent with South Australian Indigenous-owned businesses
• 5% of the total site workforce to identify as Indigenous, and
• 85% of the contract value to be spent with South Australian businesses.

These outcomes are aligned with Sarah’s South Australian focus and Reconciliation Action Plan, and by leveraging its extensive supplier and subcontractor networks, and using a comprehensive induction process to capture data, Sarah met or exceeded all targets.