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Warren Smith & Partners Involvement with the Redevelopment of Darling Harbour

A history of our involvement…

In 1983 in the 2nd year of operation, Warren Smith & Partners (WS+P) were engaged by Yates Developments to undertake the design of the Hydraulic and Fire Services for a proposed weekend marketplace and mid-week car parking facility on the previous Dairy Farmers Milk Distribution Centre site at the western end of Liverpool Street which has been closed on the Darling Harbour site. The project was fully documented, tendered and prior to commencement of construction, the NSW Government advised Yates Developments that the land was to be resumed which in turn prevented commencement of construction.

In 1985, Warren Smith & Partners were engaged by the Managing Contractor, Leighton Contractors on behalf of the then Darling Harbour Authority to undertake the Masterplanning work of the infrastructure services required to service the overall Darling Harbour Redevelopment.

As a result of the infrastructure services masterplan, the infrastructure services were installed to service the various development sites in Darling Harbour. One of the early infrastructure works was undertaken by Sydney Water to amplify the existing Haylackey stormwater drainage culvert which collected significant catchments from the southern catchment area of Darling Harbour and was installed to cater for a capacity for a 20 Year Storm Event to minimise flooding  issues at the southern end of Darling Harbour.

Interestingly enough,  during the excavation and construction of the Haylackey stormwater culvert an old timber wharf was found approximately 100 metres south of the existing southern seawall of Darling Harbour which was constructed in the earlier days of our Colony.

In late 1985, Warren Smith & Partners were engaged as Hydraulic & Fire Engineering Consultants for the new Convention Centre which has been replaced by the new ICC Building plus the adjacent Festival Marketplace project and both projects were finished on time for the 1988 bi-centennial celebrations.

In more recent years, Warren Smith & Partners were awarded the Hydraulic & Fire Engineering Consultancy Services for the Darling Walk Development tenanted by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and that project also involved a significant early works package to deviate Sydney Water stormwater and sewer drainage infrastructure.

The Darling Walk Development was one of the first buildings to be credited with a 6 star Greenstar rating before fully operational and the work involved by Warren Smith & Partners in regards to Sewer Mining and blackwater treatment plant to provide the water supply for the cooling towers in both buildings which saves an approximate 100,000 Litres of towns water consumption each day which was a significant contribution to the obtaining of the 6 star Greenstar rating.

Another major project at Darling Harbour that Warren Smith & Partners were involved with as Hydraulic & Fire Engineering Consultants is the 34 storey Sofitel Hotel building adjacent the southern end of the new International Convention Centre.

Close to and not that far away from the Darling Harbour Redevelopment area are the Barangaroo South Commercial Office Towers (3 off) together with the Residential Towers.  Warren Smith & Partners have been involved and are currently involved as Hydraulic & Fire Engineering Consultants.

Warren Smith & Partners were also involved as the Hydraulic, Fire & Civil Engineering Consultants for the Barangaroo Reserve Project where approximately 85% of all rainwater and irrigation water that permeates through the ground is captured, treated and reused for irrigation purposes over the Barangaroo Reserve and parkland area.

Another outstanding piece of engineering work for the Barangaroo Reserve project involved the investigation and subsequent removal in total of an existing Sydney Water sewer pump station  utilising micro-tunnelling engineering technique to enable the existing Sydney water sewer from Walsh Bay Finger Wharfs to be deviated by gravity 900 metres south under Hickson Road to connect to an existing Sydney Water sewer pump station situated opposite the Bond Building in Hickson Road.

Warren Smith Consulting Engineers