FAQs

The universities are committed to respecting the cultural and historical, environmental and social fabric of the site through considered design that is sensitive to the landscape and environment.   

The Field Station will encompass:  

• The adaptive re-use of the existing Badcoe Hall, transforming it into a research and teaching facility. The brick and stone clad concrete facade and overall structure of the building will be retained and reinforced, with the internal facilities sympathetically adapted, complete with laboratories and collaborative spaces. 

• A new, purpose-built short-stay university accommodation building for visiting researchers and student field trips, to be located between Badcoe Hall and Jackson Road. The building will have capacity for overnight accommodation for 50 people. 

• Landscaping around the site, seamlessly integrating the new building into the existing surrounds through access paths, bicycle and car parking, seating, outdoor lighting and plantings. 

The refurbished Badcoe Hall will contain spaces designed for teaching, learning and events for the universities, and as an event space that can facilitate teaching activities by the local community. The space will be managed through a centralised booking system that will be developed closer to completion.  

The refurbished Badcoe Hall will contain: 

• Shared social spaces and amenities 

• Functions area with capacity for events of up to 100 people 

• Catering kitchen 

• Meeting rooms and breakout spaces* 

• Teaching laboratory with capacity for 50 people* 

• Chemistry laboratory with capacity for 8 people* 

• Equipment storage* 

• Wash area* 

• Laboratory store* 

The accommodation in the new building is reserved for users associated with the Field Station such as student groups, teaching staff, researchers and postgraduates. It is not for tourist or public accommodation. Designed to accommodate 50 people, the building will include bedrooms, shared bathroom amenities and breakout areas.  

* Notes spaces restricted to University use only 

The Field Station is one of several initiatives highlighted in the Parks Victoria Point Nepean Master Plan (2017) aspirations, including the provision of a new building for education and research within the National Park.  

The Field Station utilises the existing Badcoe Hall building in addition to the new build. After extensive research and consideration, it was concluded that a new build provides the best outcome given the availability, heritage constraints and accessibility requirements of other buildings at the Quarantine Station.  

The new accommodation building has been carefully designed to have minimal visual impact on the surrounding site, reflecting the aesthetic and values of place. The Field Station will activate this part of the precinct, encouraging interaction and engagement with this section of the former Quarantine Station. 

Disability access and inclusivity are key considerations in the Field Station’s design and operations. The refurbishment of Badcoe Hall includes the installation of a lift for access, significantly improving the accessibility of the existing build. The accommodation building will also contain a lift, and considerable effort has been made to incorporate accessible pathways between the buildings and across the site. 

The project has included engaging with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to commission a Cultural Values Assessment, that has been drawn upon by the architectural and landscape designers. Initial Indigenous design elements include: 

• Drawing inspiration from local Indigenous stories and gathering spaces evidenced through the presence of middens, the landscape design seeks to balance built form and bushfire overlays with cultural connections.

• The native planting proposed has been guided by the Registered Aboriginal Party and has Cultural uses to local Indigenous communities. 

While we are in the pre-construction stages, we look forward to new opportunities to work together with all Indigenous knowledge holders. 

Sustainability has been embedded in the design by choosing materials appropriate to the site and context, including consideration of the maintenance requirements in a coastal environment. No natural gas is being used at the Field Station and sustainable operations have also been considered but will be further developed as the project progresses. 

Sustainability considerations include: 

• Passive design to support low-energy, high-comfort and healthy spaces 

• Embodied carbon to reduce whole of life emissions 

• All-electric and renewable ready energy sources to support carbon neutral operations 

• Operational waste management to support diversion from landfill 

• Development of a Sustainable Action Plan that will provide a roadmap for integrating and delivering sustainability outcomes in the project 

The PNREFS lease area is limited in area to minimise its footprint and impact in the Point Nepean National Park and is located to be consistent with the 2017 Parks Victoria Master Plan. The existing buildings that may be demolished in future are under the management of Parks Victoria (PV) and the universities have no control over their use or demolition timeline.

A planning amendment is the appropriate planning approval pathway because a Planning Scheme Amendment will allow for specific controls to be embedded in the scheme to allow for the ongoing function of the proposed facility. Importantly, the ‘research centre and education centre’ land use is prohibited within the small portion of affected land zoned within the Public Conservation Zone. This portion of land is relied upon for access to the subject site and for car parking. As such, in the absence of an amendment a permit could not be granted for the proposal. 

Additionally, should any minor works be sought in the future, they would continually require extensive planning permissions, this would result in an overly onerous process for both the universities and all public authorities. 

No, the land remains part of the Point Nepean National Park, however the universities will have a lease to use the PNREFS buildings and area.

The universities have considered and examined the options, including the review of many of the existing heritage buildings on site as an alternative to constructing a new building. This includes the adjacent building 5 which is the old cadet accommodation building. Most of the buildings are unsuitable to be used for the type of adaptive re-use contemplated for PNREFS, for varying reasons including heritage controls, location, condition or are earmarked for alternative future uses.

The project has been designed incorporating Universal Design principles. This includes compliance with the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act, but extends beyond that through design decisions regarding topics such as intuitive wayfinding, legibility and the incorporation of resting spots throughout the public domain. The aim has been to create a space that is welcoming to all.

An important aspect of the landscape design has been to navigate the 6m vertical height difference within the site while providing equal access across the site. Through a carefully designed sequence of ramps that are integrated in the landscape as part of the public journey, the design creates a public space that can be enjoyed by users of all abilities.

The refurbishment of Badcoe Hall will make the building fully accessible to all users, addressing existing challenges such as the lack of lifts, non-compliant staircases that pose a risk for those with impaired vision, a lack of bathrooms for Universal Access, etc. This extends into the new laboratory space on the upper level, which includes height adjustable benches to accommodate all students and researchers.

The site will support net zero in operations. The buildings are designed with a fabric first approach, to reduce heating and cool demand, whilst optimising occupant comfort. Combined with the energy efficiency measures, the buildings will be all-electric in operation (with the exception of emergency back and any specialist lab uses that require fossil fuels). It will be powered by renewables, through a combination of onsite rooftop photovoltaic and offsite renewable electricity procurement through the Universities PPAs.

Several water sensitive urban design principles are included across the site as follows:

·       Ground plane planting to be primarily native planting. Retaining existing trees where possible. This will increase biodiversity and also decrease irrigation demands. 

·       No permanent irrigation to be provided – all plants are to be drought tolerant and established. 

·       A rainwater tank will capture water from the rooftop for reuse in toilets

No, this project contains no plans for rebuilding the jetty.

The refurbishment of Badcoe Hall includes the retention of a large multipurpose space, similar to that which is currently existing in Badcoe Hall. The ongoing management of the field station will be by the universities, and we envisage and anticipate that there will continue to be the opportunity for community groups to use that space from time to time.

The function of the PNREFS is to provide a place for the universities to facilitate teaching and learning and research opportunities. The project will very much deliver this purpose. The universities and their design teams have expended considerable effort to ensure that the PNREFS is appropriately designed and located within its context.