Due to COVID-19 there have been delays in the supply of glass and glazed louvres which has resulted in the stage 1 build not being fully weather proofed by the original hand over date of mid-July. Council, Ashley Halliday Architects and the construction team from Kennett Builders have revised the timeline by four weeks to ensure delivery and installation of the glass and other items.
High performance glazing is a main design feature of the building, which includes large panels of blue coloured glass throughout, with the glazed louvres assisting in the control of day to day ventilation in the check-in and arrivals hall as well as the departure lounge. The effective use of glass alongside other sustainable and energy saving initiatives is key design philosophy that features in the Ashley Halliday designed building.
Kennett Builders Project Manager, Mr Carlin McNeil, said that while the supply delay has involved some reworking of the short term construction schedule, the final December 2020 handover will not be affected. In the interim, Airport users will continue to utilise the temporary terminal, however, improved road access and the diversion of traffic away from the main construction area will be established during the winter months.
Public access to the first part of the new terminal will include the arrivals hall, check-in area, café, car hire desks and the baggage carousel. Further details regarding road access and parking arrangements will be released closer to the time.
The Mount Gambier Regional Airport Upgrade is funded by the Australian Government through the Building Better Regions Fund in partnership with the South Australian State Government.