Proposed Refurbishment of the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, ACT

Purpose

The purpose of the proposed refurbishment is to:

• preserve the heritage value and make best use of the Mint buildings;
• address non-compliant code issues, making suitable accommodation for the Mint and other Australian Government agencies;
• provide a more efficient use of space of the Mint (reducing from 16,000 square metres to 13,000 square metres) thereby providing the opportunity to lease the additional available space (3,000 square metres) to another agency, increasing the revenue and return on investment on the asset;
• improve overall energy efficiency usage, through the incorporation of various environmental initiatives and sustainable design principles;
• enable the Mint to fulfil its charter, to meet the circulating coin and numismatic needs of Australia , by providing a building that meets its functional requirements more efficiently; and
• extend the life of the building by at least another 25 years.¹

Need

The Mint buildings (Process and Administration buildings) have not had any major upgrade works undertaken since they were built in 1965, and independent reports have shown that non-structural elements of the buildings have passed their useful economic life.²

The buildings have Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S), Building Code of Australia (BCA), and fire safety non-compliance issues that can only be rectified by major refurbishment.³

The Mint attracts approximately 200,000 visitors per annum, and consolidating operations into the Process building will allow the Mint to enhance visitor experience through the introduction of new interpretive galleries.⁴

Scope

This project proposes to refurbish the Mint buildings and will provide two tenancies: the Process Building leased to the Mint; and the Administration Building which will be available for lease by other government agencies.⁵

Proposed refurbishment of the Administration buildings includes:

• internal demolition to create an open floor plate;
• new building and mechanical, electrical and fire services;
• new male, female and disabled access toilets;
• new commercial quality carpet to office areas;
• new suspended acoustic tiled ceilings and new light fittings;
• new lift located adjacent located adjacent to the main entrance;
• roof painting and safety system;
• new staff parking arrangements;
• refurbishment of existing stone flooring to lobby; and
• stairs upgraded to comply with BCA.⁶

Proposed refurbishment for the Process Building includes:

• new floor coverings to office, public and exhibition areas ;
• new ceilings to office, public and exhibition areas;
• refurbishment of existing concrete and timber floors in process areas;
• new amenities (staff toilets and showers; public toilets; tea room);
• new building entry at ground floor (public and staff);
• new public and staff parking arrangements;
• new public forecourt and entry courtyard providing access into the Mint;
• new basement tunnel link to vault;
• new goods delivery security gates to the southern end of the Process Building; and
• new public lift to foyer area to serve the ground and first floor.⁷

Project Delivery

Subject to parliamentary approval, construction works are planned to commence in October 2006 with completion by June 2008 for the Mint occupation of the Process Building, and April 2009 for the tenant occupation of the Administration Building.⁸

The project delivery strategy will be developed using delivery systems specifically tailored to achieve value for money and meet the objectives and risks associated with each building.⁹

Cost

The cost of refurbishment is approximately $41.2 million. This figure includes:

• construction;
• consultant fees; and
• project management and supervision.¹⁰

Appendix C, Submission No. 1, paragraph 1.4.1 – 1.4.4 Back

Appendix C, Submission No. 1, paragraph 1.2.1 Back

ibid, paragraph 1.2.2 Back

ibid, paragraph 2.22.1-2.22.2 Back

Appendix C, Submission No. 1, paragraph 1.6.1 and 2.15.1 Back