What does ‘Wingaru’ mean?
‘Wingaru’ is a Cammeraigal term meaning ‘to think’ and is the name that has been given to the College’s new teaching and learning building. The name came through extensive consultation with First Nations Elders and College stakeholders. The aim of the building’s name is to honour the site’s Indigenous heritage while reflecting our deep connection with the land and passion for active reconciliation with our First Nations people.
What is the Wingaru building?
The Wingaru building is the College’s vision for a new Science and Technology facility to house specialised spaces for studying Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Personal Development Health and Physical Education (PDHPE). The Learning Enrichment department will also be relocated in the heart of the building to provide a full integration of learning, along with six new House areas designed to foster connection, curiosity and reflection.
Where will the Wingaru building be located?
The Wingaru building will be located in the vicinity of the former Therry Basketball courts and will serve as the newest addition to the College’s Teaching, Learning and Pastoral Care precinct.
How have First Nations community members been involved?
Riverview and its surrounds are an important sacred site for the Cammeraigal clan of the Gai-mariagal Nation. Seeded from work by Professor Denis Foley, a Gai-mariagal Elder, workshops were facilitated with Elders and the College’s First Nations students towards the design, features and naming of the Wingaru building. The building is inspired by the natural rock formations along the Lane Cove River, which were important to the First Nations people as an area to rest, share knowledge, tell stories and a place where community and culture was celebrated and learned.
How does the building align with Riverview’s Jesuit heritage?
Jesuits have historically been pioneers and thought leaders in science including astronomy, astrophysics, aeronautics, cartography, and geometry. The Wingaru building aims to celebrate the contributions of these Jesuit scientists, while developing and inspiring a new generation of students to follow in their footsteps in the fields of science, technological research and human endeavours.
How does the Wingaru Science and Technology building align with the College’s Masterplan?
Wingaru is the next phase of the College’s masterplan, continuing our commitment to contemporary learning spaces that meet the needs of today’s world. This will be a space for the next generation of thinkers and leaders, to learn how to solve global challenges and create a better world for all.
Where can I find more information about the College’s future plans?
The College is committed to keeping students, staff, parents and the broader community, including our neighbours, informed and regularly updated on the status of the project. Information on the College’s masterplan and the Wingaru project can be found at https://www.riverview.nsw.edu.au/our-future/wingaru/ on the College’s website.
How is the Wingaru building being funded?
Wingaru is made possible through the current financial modelling of the College and the generous support of our community. No changes to school fees will be made to accommodate the financing of the building plan, and no Commonwealth or State funding is being provided for redevelopment of the College or capital works maintenance.
What sustainable practices are being utilised for the construction of Wingaru?
Caring for our Common Home is one of four Jesuit Global Apostolic Preferences, ensconced by the College to care for the land that we live, work and educate on. As the country we are on is rich in natural and built environments, we share a responsibility to educate and inspire our community to connect, collaborate and work towards a more sustainable future for our common home that is Riverview. To prepare for the start of the building works, a policy of waste management has been adopted to reduce environmental impact by ensuring appropriate recycling, reuse and disposal methods of building materials. The College will also be targeting certification of the Wingaru project as a sustainable building and within an internationally recognised rating system.
Can I contribute to the fundraising campaign?
Yes, the College welcomes your support of this exciting venture into our future. To partner with us in developing future generations of Riverview graduates who are “men for and with others”, please contact Kim Clarke, Head of Foundation, at 02 9882 8574 or kclarke@riverview.nsw.edu.au.
Who is the builder?
Through a stringent selection process, the College has chosen to partner with Belmadar, a Sydney based, privately owned construction company, whose focus is on providing solution-based building expertise over a wide range of sectors.
What are the major timeframes for the project?
The project was approved as a New South Wales ‘state significant development’ in October 2021 through the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and since then, the following proposed timeline has been established:
- January 2023: Construction site establishment and enabling works.
- February – May 2023: Further services and enabling works, with bulk excavation to begin over the Easter holidays.
- June 2023 – December 2024: Construction building works commences.
- Term 1, 2025: Wingaru open for learning (Stage 1 delivery)
- Term 3, 2025: O’Neil building fully integrated (Stage 2 delivery)
What are the hours of construction?
All construction work will be undertaken between 7.00am – 6.00pm, Monday to Friday, with noisy works limited to 9.00am – 5.00pm and outside class hours where practical.
No construction deliveries will be made during school drop off and pick up times (7:30 – 9:00am and 2:30 – 4:00pm) and traffic management will be in place to ensure the safe entry and exit of construction vehicles.
Weekend works will be conducted as required.
The College appointed builder, Belmadar, is accustomed to undertaking construction activities within a live site and will remain flexible in relation to site working hours, regularly coordinating timing of construction activities to ensure uninterrupted operation at the College.
Who are the Wingaru Project Managers?
Representing the College will be Philip Dean, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Adam White, as Head of Property Services and Damian Lorenzutta, Capital Works and Services Manager.
The external client project manager for Wingaru is Jordan Graham with EPM Projects.
Working for Belmadar Construction is Brett Drew, Construction Director; Loui Abouhamed, Senior Project Manager and James Blackburne, Site Manager.
What safety measures will be in place at the College during the construction project?
The safety of the College’s students, staff and Riverview Community is our highest priority. As construction is taking place on a live school campus, a number of safety measures will be in place including:
- Hoarding, safety fences and clear directional signage will be erected for the duration of the build
- Separate access points and working precincts for College and construction personnel
- Thorough induction of all contractors on site regarding College exclusion zones and other rigid safety processes
For any major disruptions, the Riverview Community will be notified in a timely manner with strategies in place to ease any potential hardships that may arise.
How will the College manage campus disruptions?
The College and Belmadar are committed to mitigating the occurrences of any inevitable disruptions. Fortnightly schedules and regular discussions will keep the College apprised of any upcoming works that may greatly impact the greater College community and surrounding neighbours. Any noisy and/or disruptive works may be prohibited at short notice.
Any major disruptions during the College’s school hours will be communicated in a timely manner to students, parents, and staff via Insideview and e-mail correspondence. Any emergency situations will be communicated via a text message from the school. Regular updates will also be made on the Wingaru project site at https://www.riverview.nsw.edu.au/our-future/wingaru/projectnews/.
How will teaching and learning be impacted?
The College Executive team and our builder, Belmadar, are dedicated to minimising the impact of the construction works during school time. To prepare for the commencement of the building works, staged relocations of staff, classrooms, faculty departments, and offices were completed in the latter part of 2022 and through Term 1, 2023. To allow students access to the Science labs during the construction process, the building program has been designed to allow for the use of the current Science labs for as long as possible; and once completed, plans have been made to utilise the new labs in the Wingaru building.
Further measures include:
- Noise controls and mitigation strategies-timing of impactful activities and regular discussions and updates from Belmadar to the College of the upcoming scheduled works.
- Acoustic Treatments
- Vibration controls and noise and vibration monitoring
- Modification of the construction works, during key timeframes within the academic schedule, including the HSC exam period.
- Pertinent and timely communications to staff, students, and the College Community, regarding construction updates and news.
How will building noise be mitigated during Year 12 HSC Trials and HSC examinations this year?
Weeks 4, 5 and 6 may be impacted by noise because of the timing of major excavation works on our Wingaru building site. We are working with Belmadar, our building contractors, on ‘block-out’ times when all building works will cease to allow uninterrupted exams. For the most part, exams will take place in locations which are not impacted by noise, including The Gartlan Centre, The Senior Study Hall and classrooms within The Arrupe Building.
How will traffic, transport and parking be impacted?
The College strongly encourages all drivers to maintain the 20km/hr speed limit and to be aware of changes to the traffic conditions for both drivers and pedestrians.
Student Drop off and Pick up Zone
Drivers will continue to use the current drop zone along First Field/Fr Mac Pavilion. Signage will be posted to remind drivers of the entry and exit points for this location.
School Buses
The route and drop off/pick up locations through the College, by the New South Wales transport buses, will remain unaffected.
Pedestrian Access
At the Slopes, a dedicated pathway for students, boarders, staff and visitors has been constructed to connect pedestrians to and from the northern side of the campus to the learning precinct.
Parking
Additional parking spaces have been constructed on The Slopes. Please look for signage directing staff and visitors into this parking area.
Year 12 students are asked to legally park along Riverview Street.
Will there be an impact to the outdoor recreational and co-curricular training spaces?
The footprint of the new Wingaru building will be on the former Therry basketball courts. To prepare for the loss of this space, an additional court was installed on the Third Yard basketball courts. During basketball season, some of the Senior school teams will utilise the Regis basketball courts in the mornings and afternoons.
To create further recreation areas for students, basketball hoops have been installed on Tennis Court 1, and Courts 2-4 will become a multi-use space during morning recess, and lunch. With Gorman Field, Second Field and Third Yard all remaining open, there will not be a shortage of space for students to enjoy during their freetime outside of class.
Will the boarding community be disrupted during the construction process?
The safety of our boarding community and all of our students will remain the highest priority during the construction of Wingaru. As the majority of the construction works will be done during school hours, Boarders will not be impacted during the school week. On weekends, there may be construction activity as required, and Boarding will be advised of any works being completed in the area of the houses.
Boarders residing in St Johns House will still be able to access the boarding house from the rear of the building. A dedicated path has also been installed from the learning precinct to Kevin Fagan House for our senior boarders.
Boarding will be kept up to date with any changes to schedules and disruptions.
Will the building works impact the College’s neighbours?
While all building works will be conducted internally within the campus, the College is aware that the construction will have some impact on the local neighbourhood. To mitigate these issues, regular communications will advise our neighbours of construction activities that may be considered noisy or disruptive, and Belmadar will adopt noise controls and mitigation strategies to minimise impact on the surrounding community.
Is there an environmental impact report?
A comprehensive environmental impact report was produced and submitted to the NSW Government Planning, Industry and Environment Department as part of the College’s application for state significant development. Additional information on the environmental impact report can be found at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview Redevelopment Stage 2 | Planning Portal.
How do I stay up to date?
Current students, staff, parents/carers of Riverview may access up to date building information by logging into Insideview or the College’s website at https://www.riverview.nsw.edu.au/our-future/wingaru/projectnews/.
Who can I contact for questions, concerns or comments?
Feedback, enquiries or complaints: Please email wingaru@riverview.nsw.edu.au or contact the College Reception during school hours (8:30am-3:30pm) at 02 9882 8222.
Media enquiries: All media enquiries can be directed to Phoebe Loneragan, Chief Advancement Officer, at 02 9882 8321 or ploneragan@riverview.nsw.edu.au.
Additional information on the building project can be found at: https://www.riverview.nsw.edu.au/our-future/wingaru/
Can I contribute to the fundraising campaign?
Yes, the College welcomes your support of this exciting venture into our future. To partner with us in developing future generations of Riverview graduates who are “men for and with others”, please contact Kim Clarke, Head of Foundation, at 02 9882 8574 or kclarke@riverview.nsw.edu.au.
