Balambalam Primary School
Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA)
2025
$44M
Clyde North, VIC
Project Details
32000m
Project Partners
Overview
Delivering educational infrastructure for one of Victoria’s fastest growing communities.
Located in the heart of Clyde North, Balambalam Primary School has been designed to meet the needs of one of Victoria’s fastest-growing communities. Delivered for the VSBA, the new $44M campus provides contemporary learning environments, inclusive education facilities and community-focused spaces that will support generations of local families.
Built on a greenfield site with limited initial access, the project transformed former greenfield site into a modern education precinct capable of accommodating up to 715 students, including 65 students with disabilities. Through our careful planning, innovative staging and proactive stakeholder collaboration, we delivered all five buildings on time for the commencement of Term 1, 2026.
Scope
The new campus incorporates:
- Three learning neighbourhoods designed to support flexible and collaborative learning
- An administrative building featuring a library and student support spaces
- A community hub and gymnasium designed for both school and community use
- Outdoor hard courts and sports field
- Extensive landscaping and public realm work
- On-site car parking and supporting infrastructure
A key success factor was the team's ability to re-sequence works and maintain momentum across multiple construction fronts. This approach enabled us to accommodate substantial client-requested changes while preserving programme certainty and quality outcomes.
Managing Complexity on a Greenfield Site
Delivering a large-scale education facility on a greenfield site required careful planning and agile project management. Site access limitations, significant retaining wall construction, changing client requirements and uncertainty surrounding permanent power connections all had the potential to impact programme outcomes.
Through proactive risk management and collaborative engagement with stakeholders, the project team developed practical solutions that enabled construction to progress efficiently while maintaining key delivery milestones.
Plan.
Value Adding & Approach.
- Developed a collaborative access and logistics strategy with the adjoining developer to
enable construction to commence despite the absence of direct site access. - Re-sequenced works to allow extensive civil, retaining wall and building activities to run
concurrently, maintaining progress against a fast-tracked program. - Successfully delivered approximately $700,000 of client-requested variations and provisional
sum works without impacting completion milestones. - Brought forward authority and infrastructure works, enabling approximately 90% of the project to be commissioned prior to permanent power becoming available.
Drive.
Key Challenges.
- Establishing construction operations on a site with no nominated address and limited access at project commencement.
- Managing significant retaining wall and civil works required to build up site levels while maintaining critical programme activities.
- Progressively building out of the site while preserving access and workflow efficiency across multiple construction zones.
- Navigating uncertainty around permanent power supply, which was only confirmed shortly before project completion.
Deliver.
Project Outcomes.
- Delivered a new $44 million primary education campus across a 32,000m² greenfield site.
- Successfully completed five buildings and associated infrastructure in time for student occupation at the commencement of the 2026 school year.
- Created contemporary and inclusive learning environments supporting up to 715 students, including specialist facilities for students with disabilities.
- Established a community-focused precinct that contributes to the long-term growth and development of Clyde North and the surrounding region.