Coffey receives Commendation in NSW Regions and ACT category at the UDIA NSW Austral Bricks Awards for Excellence 2010
Source: Coffey - www.coffey.com.au
23 August 2010
Global professional services consultancy Coffey International Limited (“Coffey”) has received a Commendation in the NSW Regions & ACT category at the Urban Development Institute of Australia NSW (“UDIA NSW”) Austral Bricks Awards for Excellence 2010, for the Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa project, announced at a gala event in Sydney last Friday evening.
Project management specialists from Coffey Projects have successfully led the development of Australia’s first conservation-based luxury resort, the A$125 million Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, located in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, two hours west of Sydney.
UDIA NSW is the peak industry body representing the interests of all sectors involved in the urban development industry in New South Wales. The prestigious UDIA NSW Austral Bricks Awards for Excellence recognises the highest achievements in the urban development industry.
Coffey Projects Acting NSW & ACT Manager, Tony Carroll, said that his team is excited about the commendation because it recognises the challenges they had to overcome during this project.
“Due to its heritage location, the development had to be built outside the usual scope, requiring strong project leadership and stakeholder engagement.
“A key challenge was having to work through some of the most rigorous legislation and environmental controls in the world, including the state of New South Wales’s first ever Part 3A approval process, to enable the project to go ahead.
“We’ve had to liaise with and guide a wide group of consultants, contractors and government departments during the process. Conservation was the underlying focus for all areas of the development and we’ve ensured that all contractors on site received training on environmental damage prevention and on how to protect the local fauna and flora.”
Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa has become the first hotel in the world to achieve carbon neutral certification from an internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme, carboNZero.
Judges comments:
“This development provides a unique combination of an iconic location, understated luxury, privacy and outstanding conservation values. Targeting the luxury tourism market, the project is able to offer ecologically sustainable solutions while providing significant employment opportunities to a regional location.
“The establishment and active management of a private conservation and wild-life reserve ensures that sustainability principles applied to energy and water capture and re-use are extended to active renewal of flora and fauna though out the valley.
“Themed around rustic Australian architecture set amidst a backdrop of the sandstone escarpments of the Blue Mountains, the resort is to be commended for being the first hotel to achieve internationally accredited carbon neutral certification.”