A new modern facility to support the important work of SA Police for decades to come.

SAPOL Thebarton Barracks Relocation Project

#Overview

The Thebarton Barracks Relocation Project involves the delivery of a new, custom-built, state-of-the-art facility for the South Australia Police (SAPOL) Mounted Operations Unit (MOU) and Dog Operations Unit (DOU) at Gepps Cross, Adelaide and a Staging site in the city. It will provide a higher standard of accommodation and facilities for staff and animals, supporting the important work of SA police for decades to come.

The new homebase for police greys and dogs on the 10.5ha site at Gepps Cross will include 32 ventilated stables, covered arena, Equine and veterinary facilities, training arenas, paddocks, ample storage, parking, and office space. Additionally, the site will house the Dog Operations Unit with a separate area for kennels and special training facilities, plus staff offices by 2025.

#Details

Location

Adelaide, SA

Client

Department for Infrastructure and Transport

Value

$90 million

Status

Under Construction

Timeline

2023-2025

#Delivery

"Our team worked closely with DIT on multiple strategies to achieve program opportunities and established an aggressive design and construction program. With great support from our subcontractors and a ‘must-do’ team approach, we delivered a quality outcome for Stage 1, ahead of program,"- Al Crosby, BESIX Watpac General Manager Vic & SA.

The project commenced at the beginning of November 2023 with formation of 3 Terraces over the 12-hectare sloping site, with approximately 20,000 M3 of cut and fill, internal roadway subgrades and detention basin with stage 1 completed mid-September 2024 to enable the relocation of the MOU. The remainder of the project, including completion of DOU and the office facilities, will be completed in 2025.

Additional works include the delivery of a new Staging post to allow SAPOL to continue to meet policing needs in and around the city. The new custom-built Staging post will be a modern site for MOU to have excellent access to the CBD for most of their operational duties and is ideal to assist in deploying DOU in the CBD as required.

Environmentally friendly focus and features

The new home for SAPOL’s Mounted Operations Unit boasts 350,000 litres of rainwater storage, 200kw of solar panels, and has been revegetated with around 14,000 endemic plants.

To deter the local corellas from feeding on the newly seeded horse paddocks, Falconry Based Bird Abatement techniques were utilised for its environmentally friendly, quiet and discreet approach, which proved successful after two and a half weeks.

Creating Local Opportunities

BESIX Watpac will be engaging with local subcontractors wherever possible and has set targets in line with the Tailored Industry Participation Plan South Australia to provide opportunities for apprentices, trainees and Indigenous Participation and Procurement.

"At BESIX Watpac we always look for opportunities to upskill the workforce to ensure the long-term future of our industry and proactively seek opportunities that enable this. Through this project, we’ve engaged more than 1000 tradespeople so far, investing in the local workforce’s ability to gain experience on a unique government project," – Craig Bentley, BESIX Watpac South Australia Manager.