GEELONG\u2019S future builders have had a behind-the-scenes tour of Wurriki Nyal, the City of Greater Geelong\u2019s new Civic Precinct, as part of the project\u2019s support for local jobs and skills development.<\/p>\n
The construction students are participants in the city-led Regional Industry Sector Employment (RISE) program, a collaborative program sponsored by Gforce Employment Solutions that connects job seekers with industry via training, recruitment, mentoring and support.<\/p>\n
The Civc Precinct project to bring together new centralised offices, services for the community and outdoor public space has already directly employed 255 local workers through its construction, with major tenders worth $29 million awarded to G21 businesses so far.<\/p>\n
On last week\u2019s tour, the RISE students were able to talk to the project team and see the 6 Star Green Star building\u2019s sustainable features up close, including its exposed mass engineered timber structure.<\/p>\n
Wurriki Nyal \u2013 Wadawurrung words meaning \u201cspeak and talk together\u201d \u2013 is the first building of its kind in Geelong one of just a handful across Australia to use mass engineered timber in its structure.<\/p>\n
The sustainably sourced material is a low-emissions alternative to steel and concrete because it captures carbon as the timber grows rather than releasing it during production.<\/p>\n
RISE participant Alexander Wagstaff, 21, who hopes to become a plumber on large commercial projects, said it was exciting to see behind the scenes of such a large project.<\/p>\n
\u201cTours like today are really important for me personally to get an understanding of the work and engineering that goes into a project like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was good to hear the way Wadawurrung people were involved as part of the design, and the sustainability features like using timber instead of steel were amazing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited about my own career now, and excited to seeing what this building looks like when it\u2019s done. Knowing it\u2019s a project for the community makes it all the more important and valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deputy mayor Trent Sullivan, who joined the tour, said it was great to share the project\u2019s progress with the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was fantastic to have Geelong\u2019s future builders on site with us to see this once-in-a-generation community project come together and learn from the construction team in the process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom locally-made steel to Geelong-grown expertise, Wurriki Nyal would not be possible without the local businesses and workers who have contributed to building a new civic precinct for our community.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreating Wurriki Nyal has always been an opportunity to support Geelong\u2019s growth, and we\u2019re delighted to see the project continue to create jobs and business for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wurriki Nyal will open to the public in mid-2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GEELONG\u2019S future builders have had a behind-the-scenes tour of Wurriki Nyal, the City of Greater Geelong\u2019s new Civic Precinct, as part of the project\u2019s support for local jobs and skills development. The construction students are participants in the city-led Regional Industry Sector Employment (RISE) program, a collaborative program sponsored by Gforce Employment Solutions that connects […]<\/p>\n