RP Infrastructure

Blacktown City Council (BCC) identified in its strategic planning a need to upgrade its existing Animal Holding Facility (AHF). The old AHF was built in the 1970s and is no longer meeting current standards nor the growing expectations of BCC and the community.

The Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC), located on the edge of Eastern Creek within the Western Sydney Parklands, provides a new facility for BCC to care for animals, and a place for the community to visit and adopt pets.

Project Overview

The new purpose-built state-of-the-art BARC will be the largest building of its type in the Southern Hemisphere; a single centre for domestic animal welfare in Western Sydney, housing 135 dog kennels and 230 cat homes.

This modern, eco-friendly, welcoming and spacious centre is based on best practices for animal holding and rehoming. In addition to the kennels and cattery it provides a large reception and adoption area, staff rooms, vet facilities, function space, and exercise yards. Designed by Sam Crawford Architects (SCA), the facility improves the efficiency of animal assessments, reduces holding times, increases adoption rates and decreases euthanasia rates by providing each animal with the maximum opportunity to rehabilitate and be adopted into the community.

RP Infrastructure (RPI), SCA and the design team are worked in close collaboration with BCC to ensure the building provides a high level of amenity for both animals and humans, including staff, volunteers and the community. A key challenge of the design was to change the public’s perception of animal shelters by designing a community-centric building which increased community acceptance and adoption of impounded animals.

Our Role

RPI provided project management services for the design and delivery of the BARC project, having been engaged in early design development. We were responsible for managing the design development process for tender on a Construct Only contract. This includes design management and procurement of consultants on the client’s behalf; maintaining overall progress in accordance with approved programs and budgets; achieving authority approvals including an amended REF; and undertaking necessary consultation, engagement and design reviews and approvals. RPI generated the monthly PCG report, agenda and minutes, and reported on progress, deliverables, time, cost, quality and risk.

RPI managed the procurement of the main works under a two-stage tender process, seeking EOI’s and managing a select tender process of shortlisted contractors to BCC, whilst also managing an early works package. RPI acted as the Superintendent’s Representative agent to BCC for the construction of both the early and main works and administered the contract to ensure cost, time, quality and WHS objectives were achieved.

Key Challenge

The BARC commenced in 2015, with various iterations of the proposed design and Business Case before RPI’s engagement. To ensure a coordinated and accountable approach, and that project outcomes, requirements, cost and program were aligned with stakeholders’ objectives, RPI initiated and has continued to facilitate consultation between BCC, user representatives, key stakeholders and the design consultants until project completion.

Image credits: Blacktown City Council and Sam Crawford Architects