In 2024, SEMZ was engaged by Chisholm Institute to deliver a project that had significant program challenges, with the first stage required to be operational for Term One 2025. By collaborating closely with Hayball, Collective Engineering and Plan Group, SEMZ successfully managed delivery of fully refurbished teaching environments in a significantly accelerated timeframe.
Project Completion allowed Chisholm to create five new teaching spaces to support expansion of education delivery in priority areas;
- Building trades
- Community and social services
- Foundational studies including English as a Second Language.
Importantly, the upgrade provided the facilities and infrastructure to significantly increase its annual output of certified electricians and contribute directly to addressing Victoria’s housing and infrastructure needs.
A Complex Program in a Live Education environment
In 2024, Chisholm Institute identified the urgent need to complete a campus-wide “re-stack” program refurbishing five key areas so that departments could relocate sequentially into new, improved and expanded spaces. However, time was a significant factor:
- End-user consultation had to be undertaken
- Design had to commence and be accelerated as the first stage had to be fully operational by Day One, Term One 2025
- A typical nine-month program was required to be compressed.
The project had already faced several delivery roadblocks over the previous six months. SEMZ was engaged to reset the program, collaborate intimately with all stakeholders within Chisholm, lead the delivery, and drive multiple workstreams in parallel to ensure delivery within the desired timeframe.
Construction Through Christmas to Meet Day One Deadlines
To meet the non-negotiable Term 1 2025 deadline, the project required a builder capable of maintaining high-quality output during the Christmas shutdown period.
Plan Group mobilised an experienced team and successfully procured subcontractors willing to work through the break, an essential factor in achieving the goals of the program.
Thanks to this combined effort, Stage 1 opened on time for the first day of Term One, with subsequent stages delivered progressively throughout the semester.
A Future-Focused Outcome: Increasing Electrician Training Capacity
Victoria’s housing and infrastructure pipeline is placing unprecedented pressure on skilled trades. Chisholm Institute’s Dandenong Re Stack project directly supports the State’s response to this shortage.
The refurbished facilities now enable Chisholm to:
- Meet the increased demand to train and certify electricians, directly supporting the housing pipeline
- Provide new, high-quality learning environments for students in the south-east – one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions
- Deliver a new cutting-edge Electric Vehicle (EV) training facility as the final stage of works, preparing the next generation of EV mechanics
An Outstanding Team Effort
SEMZ worked closely with all Chisholm departments and end users to ensure the solution met their operational requirements. Despite undertaking major construction in an operating campus, the project was delivered:
- Within budget
- On time, across all five stages
- With minimal disruption to students and staff
Chisholm Institute recognised the collaborative achievement:
“The project team was presented with some significantly challenging project cost and time parameters, and the way SEMZ were able to assemble, structure and lead the team to deliver the outcomes to the end user requirements within the timeframes was an outstanding professional achievement. It was a pleasure to work with the teams from SEMZ, Hayball and Plan Group to deliver these much-needed facilities.”
– Jess Corbett, Chief of Strategy, Risk and Operations, Chisholm Institute
SEMZ was privileged to work with some amazing and dedicated professionals at Chisholm Institute, Hayball, Collective Engineering and Plan Group and their outstanding commitment and skill underpinned the project’s success. Delivering a project of this scale, within compressed parameters and across a live operating environment, required exceptional collaboration, trust and determination from every stakeholder involved. The ability of all parties to come together, problem solve in real time, and maintain a shared focus on achieving the best possible outcome for students and industry is a testament to the professionalism and resilience of the entire team.
Project Team:
Client: Chisholm Institute
ECI Managing Contractor: Plan Group
Architect: Hayball
Services Engineering: Collective Engineering
Structural Engineering: Matter Consulting
Fire Engineering: Square 1 Engineering
Building Surveyor: BSGM
Traffic Consultant: Eukai
Acoustic Consultant: Marshall Day
Quantity Surveyor: WT Partnership
