SA Power Networks has reinforced its commitment to the Barossa Valley, opening a brand new $6 million depot for the region.
The new Angaston depot replaces the ageing Nuriootpa depot and is now home to about 30 personnel.
“It’s a great regional investment and a statement of commitment to the local community,” said Mr Tim McCullough, Property Manager for SA Power Networks.
“This is a substantial facility upgrade that ensures our focus on safety and maintaining a reliable electricity supply to the residences and businesses of the Barossa and surrounding areas, and incorporates technology and design features that make this site a blueprint for the future.
“We think Studio Nine, the architectural firm for the project, and Pike Constructions, our lead builder, did an outstanding job and have delivered a depot that will be great for our people and serve the Barossa for many years.”
Tim said the existing Nuriootpa Depot was built in 1952, had well and truly outgrown its location and had become surrounded by residential development on all sides.
“A great deal of research was undertaken to find a suitable site for a new depot with numerous issues considered, including the nature of the surrounding area, efficiencies in travel, response times and capacity for future expansion,” said Tim.
Angaston proved perfect.
“As part of our research, we also focused on maximising the efficiency of the new depot,” Tim said.
“Time and motion surveys and daily work process mapping was conducted for field crews based at Nuriootpa depot. Studio Nine Architects, the architectural firm for the project, used this data to inform its depot design proposal that maximised efficiencies for people, plant and equipment movements around storage locations and traffic flow.”
In speaking with the Architect, Andrew Steele (Director at Studio Nine), Andrew explained how imperative an evidence-based approach is to Studio Nine’s design process - ‘Whenever we embark on such a critical project like this, that will not only have a significant impact on our client’s operations, but the wider community as a whole, we take our role in the improvement of their workplace v...
