Development Stages
ACE Development Master Plan – Stages 1, 2 & 3
The Kangan Institute Automotive Centre of Excellence is being constructed in four stages from 2005 to 2010. The ACE will consolidate all of Kangan Institute's automotive training on one site which, together with new state-of-the-art technology and equipment, will ensure it is a unique centre of automotive learning, research and development.
Photographs and drawings may be found in the Photo Gallery.
The first stage of the new multi-million dollar Automotive Centre of Excellence was opened by the Hon. Lynne Kosky, MP, Minister for Education and Training on September 13, 2006. (See News & Events).
Stage One houses the Automotive Body Trades training group - panel beating, vehicle body making, spray painting, automotive detailing, Certificate II pre-apprenticeship program and components of the automotive diploma program. It also contains staff and student amenities, a café, customer service centre and a separate workshop for the Fox Group.
The building has achieved a 5 star energy rating and includes major innovative sustainable and environmental design principles and components, including some elements which will be used for the first time in Australia. (See Our Community)
$18.6 million of funding was received from the Office of Training and Tertiary Education consisting of $13.7 million for the building, with the remainder spent on equipment, including state-of-the-art spray painting booths.
The first body trades training students commenced classes on 28 August 2006.
ACE Stage 1 continues to provide quality training and partnership activities as planning and construction of Stage 2 takes place. Stage 1 accommodates the auto body trades of Kangan Institute's automotive group.
The ACE Stage 2 building has been uniquely designed to enable the remainder of group's programmes such as heavy and light vehicle, marine, outdoor power equipment and auto electrical to be delivered in 2011 from the state-of-the-art facility.
Importantly, for our many partners and industry associations, the project also reflects our values of innovation, collaboration and accessibility through flexible spaces and dedicated areas for activities such as car and product launches, industry training, trade exhibitions and seminars.
The building comprises of four levels which include:
- Ground floor: truck and coach chassis active dynamometer, an all-wheel drive active chassis dynamometer, a brake test stand, a motorcycle dynamometer and engine test cell. Provision has also been made for emission testing of all vehicle types which will complement the normal dynamometer tests.
Along with this specialist training equipment, the ground floor will provide workshop space for steering, suspension, wheels, brakes, hydraulics, pneumatics, auto parts, light engines and heavy vehicles training. An additional stand-alone workshop is also being provided for use by any interested industry partner. All of these areas will have access to classrooms located immediately adjacent.
The ground floor will also include a cafeteria with external spill out areas, student recreation space, a flexible learning/student commons/library area which will provide computer access, reading material and computer based teaching facilities. - First Floor: Includes seven general purpose classrooms, a quiet study area/library, student lounge, security office, trimming workshop, toilets, showers and lockers.
- Second Floor: Comprises of various mechanical workshops dedicated principally to auto electrical, air conditioning, engines, transmissions and fuels, with all of these areas having access to classroom located immediately adjacent. To service the needs of the automotive industry, approximately 800 square metres of workshop/open space will be established for either casual or permanent use by industry partners.
- Third Floor: Accommodation and amenities for some 130 staff and includes an external 'green roof' that will comprise of timber decking and drought tolerant plants. This external area will also be made available for industry partners for functions or to complement workshop activities being held on the second floor industry workshops.
Naturally, Stage 2 has been designed to include the same ecological sustainable design initiatives as built into Stage 1 which has been awarded a 5 Star Green Star Rating by the Green Building Council of Australia plus other sustainable building awards.
Construction Status
Construction of the second stage of the ACE development is now accelerating following the receipt of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approval of the extensive soil remediation process undertaken by the appointed builder, Probuild Constructions Australia (PCA), during the latter half of 2009.
Since September 2009, PCA has completed more than 80 percent of the ground floor concrete slab with the remaining floor area placed on hold due to soil remediation activities and the reporting and approval process required by the EPA. Now that EPA approval has been received, the remaining 20 percent of the ground slab will be installed by early May 2010.
The ground floor is a complex structure which incorporates a number of underground water tanks which will have a combined design capacity of 300,000 litres of storm water. Rain water will be harvested from the extensive roof structure of both ACE Stages 1 and 2. This water will reduce the dependence on town water supplies and will be used to flush toilets, operate the facility carwash and to heat and cool the building via hydronic pipes located within a number of concrete floor and ceiling slabs.
Numerous precast and cast in situ concrete columns and walls have been erected with almost half of the first floor mezzanine level now formed and partly poured.
Once the ground floor installation is completed early in May 2010, the construction works will rapidly progress. The extensive contaminated soil removal process certainly had a significant effect on the projected building completion date with the latest prediction for completion now being late in the third quarter of 2011.
While construction progresses, Kangan Institute's automotive training staff will be undergoing retraining and restructuring in readiness for their relocation and transition from the Coburg and Richmond Campuses to ACE at Docklands during the second half of 2011.
The ACE master plan and vision is to include a stand-alone commercial building to accommodate preferred automotive industry partners and associations, namely, automotive manufacturing and retail industry representatives, research and design organisations (universities and government bodies), automotive manufacturing associations and various industry groups from within the automotive sector.
Following the results of a finance and property market response exercise, preliminary discussions have been held with a preferred developer. Kangan Institute's intention is to find a partner who will design, finance, build and operate an office and car park facility to accommodate automotive industry businesses and partners on commercial terms.
Due to the downturn in the financial and property development markets, the future development of ACE Stage 3 was placed on hold during 2009 with the hope that 2010 would see an upturn in market confidence, sufficient enough to allow developers to invest in new projects.
ACE Stage Four involves development of the narrow wedge of land north of the extension of Collins Street and extending to Bourke Street.
In Stage Four, an agreement has been reached with VicUrban to develop the Community and Education Centre that will include conference facilities plus provision for some community and TAFE programs that reflect the business and residential activities of the Docklands precinct. Construction is planned for completion following completion of Stages Two and Three.
Further details of the ACE development can be obtained from:
John Nicholas, project director ACE development at Kangan Institute on 03 9093 6007 or email jnicholas@kangan.edu.au Or Phill Murphy, general manager- industry liaison at Kangan Institute on 03 9353 1811 or email pmurphy@kangan.edu.au.
