Newcastle

Our Newcastle operations deliver services to clients from the region north of the Hawkesbury to the Queensland border, including the Hunter Valley and north-west New South Wales. With offices in Newcastle, Ballina, the Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Singleton, our clients benefit from our local knowledge and experience, coupled with our ability to draw on global services.

Located in the second-largest city in New South Wales, GHD in Newcastle is well positioned to serve clients in the Hunter Valley, northern New South Wales and beyond.

GHD's Newcastle office was established in 1980 and today employs more than 200 people. The breadth of capabilities of our people includes project management, engineering, environment, survey, architecture and planning services, while also having the resources to successfully deliver large-scale, multidisciplinary projects.

The Newcastle office is one of six offices that comprise the Newcastle Operating Centre, which covers the region north of the Hawkesbury to the Queensland border, and north-west New South Wales.

GHD's work in Newcastle is best characterised by our involvement in projects including the award-winning Sandgate Rail Grade Separation and the Pacific Dunes championship golf course.

All services

Our Newcastle practice provides a comprehensive range of services to both public and private sector clients, including:

  • Architecture
  • Building services
  • Defence and logistics
  • Environment
  • Mining and industry services
  • Roads and highways
  • Railways
  • Sustainability services

For more information, contact:

Tasos Katopodis
T: +61 2 4979 9999 | F: 61 2 4979 9988 | E: Email GHD in Newcastle

Location address:
Level 2 and 3,
GHD Tower,
24 Honeysuckle Drive,
Newcastle,
NSW 2300
Australia

Postal address:
PO Box 5403
Hunter Region Mail Centre NSW 2310
Australia

Newcastle Airport Master Plan

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The Defence and Airport Related Employment Zone made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the Hunter Region.

GHD prepared the land use development strategy for approximately 100 hectares of rural land for a specialised employment centre south of the Williamtown RAAF Base and Newcastle Airport. The project progressed from initial site selection through to development of the control framework.


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Australian Solar Institute

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Australia is at the forefront of solar research and development and the Australian Solar Institute's work is looking to keep it there.

GHD has been awarded a contract to provide the Australian Solar Institute (ASI) with ongoing communications support. The work involves the delivery of a long-term communications plan, a variety of communication materials and the provision of ongoing communications support.


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Munmorah Gas Pipeline Storage Project

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Jemena’s Munmorah Gas Pipeline supplies and stores gas for the 667 MW Colongra Gas Turbine Station near Newcastle, NSW.  The “linepack” pipeline was the first of its kind in Australia and is also the largest diameter licensed gas pipeline in Australia at 42”.  The project included a pressure regulation station which contains the largest water bath heater in Australia.  GHD provided engineering design from feasibility studies through to detailed design and provided support during construction (by Diona).

The pipeline service is unique as it provides fuel gas for the “peaking” power station which is only brought online during times of peak electricity demand.  While the power station is offline, the pipeline continues to receive gas over a 24 hour period and acts as a storage vessel.  As the instantaneous fuel demands exceed the pipelines capacity to supply gas when the power station comes online, the power station draws down on the stored gas (linepack) in the pipeline over a 3 to 5 hour period.  This allows the Owner freedom to purchase and store gas while the spot price is low and supply it during peak periods when the prices are high, therefore maximizing return.


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Swansea Bridge Cathodic Protection Work

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Swansea Bridge at Lake Macquarie in New South Wales is an opening bridge to allow vessels to pass underneath and was constructed in the mid 1980’s. Since then, harsh marine exposure conditions had resulted in corrosion and bridge deterioration. A solution was needed to increase the longevity of the bridge.

Working with the Roads and Traffic Authority NSW (RTA), GHD helped develop a long-term, environmentally-sustainable durability solution to be adopted  which would increase the bridge’s longevity plus minimise community disturbance and achieve best value for money outcomes.


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World’s Quietest Caterpillar Truck

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GHD has won international acclaim for its scientifically engineered quiet Caterpillar truck. Developed to comply with stringent noise standards in the Hunter Valley, the trucks are 20 times quieter than an untreated truck.

GHD scientists used advanced acoustics technology to limit the noise emitted by the engine, fan, transmission and differential of the Caterpillar 789C off-highway trucks. Reducing the noise level of the trucks was important because of the proximity of the nearby town of Muswellbrook, just 6km away. The stringent noise standards are regarded globally as industry-leading for open cut coalmines.


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M2 Motorway, NSW

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GHD was commissioned to review the supportability of the traffic control and monitoring system at the M2 Motorway, as a lead up to the potential upgrade of the system for reasons of technical obsolescence.

Following on from this commission GHD was engaged to assist in a feasibility study to upgrade the M2 Motorway Traffic Management and Computer System.


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Pacific Dunes

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GHD Newcastle provided storm water management advice and design to the development of an 18-hole championship golf course at Medowie in Port Stephens.

The Pacific Dunes development included an 18-hole championship golf course, sporting facilities, tourist accommodation and integrated residential housing for more than 400 people.


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Truck lift to cut costs and CO2 emissions in mines

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The mining industry is under constant pressure to stay competitive whilst complying with often conflicting environmental and safety objectives.

Mining operators that remove ore from pits are under constant pressure to stay competitive whilst complying with often conflicting environmental and safety objectives.


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Aged Care Development Cameron Park (Newcastle) NSW

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Anglican Care engaged GHD to provide full architectural services in the development of a 126-bed residential facility and 28 two-bedroom self-care units on a sloping greenfield site in a subdivision west of Newcastle, New South Wales.

The design for the residential care facility is based on three 10-bed clusters grouped around a communal living, dining and amenities area, on each of four levels (two-by-two storeys). Each level is connected to a single entry/reception/lift area which also contains ancillaries such as day care, respite, gymnasium, heated pool, library, theatrette, coffee shop, outdoor recreation, services areas and staff amenities.


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Black Start Turbine Generator for Eraring Power Station

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A ‘Black Start’ is the complex process of restoring power supply without external power, following total failure of the power grid.

GHD used its international network to source and confirm a suitable generator to provide 'Black Start' capability to Eraring Power Station. From previous experience with second hand gas turbine projects, we were able to use our internal resources in Newcastle, Perth and the UK to select a suitably sized and priced gas turbine coupled with a new 'oversized' generator for the demanding starting loads. The gas turbine was refurbished in Dubai, and we provided on-site quality inspections of the new generator, which was sourced in the UK.


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RAAF Base Williamtown

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The high security headquarters at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales incorporates many affordable ecologically sustainable development (ESD) features.

After developing the Base master plan and providing various levels of technical assistance for the Base's redevelopment to accommodate the new Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft for RAAF No. 2 Squadron, GHD designed the initial works and the AUD$11million headquarters building.


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CSIRO Energy Centre

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GHD’s design for the CSIRO Energy Centre sets a new benchmark in ecologically sustainable design.

The centre features a combination of energy-efficient building services, such as active and passive cooling systems and
small-scale generation units capable of delivering most of its power needs.


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Charlestown Bypass

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GHD Newcastle undertook the concept and detailed design and documentation for the Charlestown Bypass near Newcastle, as well as providing environmental, geotechnical investigation and traffic assessment services.

Representing a major road infrastructure improvement for Newcastle, the project involved designing a 6 km section of highway as part of the city’s inner city bypass. GHD designed a four-lane divided carriageway with three grade-separated intersections, six road bridges and a pedestrian bridge.


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Defence Logistics

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GHD provides maintenance, engineering and logistics management services for the Defence Material Organisation and other major defence prime contractors.

GHD has delivered engineering and logistics support for various air defence radars and air traffic control as well as the avionics upgrades for the RAAF fleet of F/RF111C aircraft.


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World’s Quietest Truck

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Mt Arthur Coal mine is a large open-cut mine in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.

To meet the most stringent noise limits for mining operations, GHD was commissioned by WesTrac (Caterpillar dealers for NSW/ACT and WA) to acoustically attenuate three Caterpillar 789C off-highway trucks.


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Sandgate Rail Grade Separation

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GHD Newcastle developed the concept design, project managed and provided independent environmental services to the Sandgate Rail Grade Separation project. 

The flyover removed a long-standing obstruction to the efficiency of the Hunter Valley’s coal chain. The separation reduced delays and disruptions by carrying the main north railway over the top of the coal lines so that coal trains could pass uninterrupted to the main export terminal at Kooragang Island. This rail line carries both freight and passenger trains.


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Capital Strategic Dredging

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NPC proposed the development of additional berth sites within the South Arm of the Hunter River, in the Port of Newcastle. The developments would assist NPC in meeting its objectives of diversifying trade and development options within the Port.

GHD was engaged by Newcastle Port Corporation to undertake an Environmental Assessment and associated engineering studies for the capital dredging of ten berth box sites and ancillary channel widening in the South Arm in Hunter River, Port of Newcastle.


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Shenhua Watermark

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GHD provides a comprehensive range of services to Shenhua's Watermark Project in New South Wales, Australia.

The Shenhua Group, one of China’s leading energy companies, holds an exploration licence near Gunnedah in New South Wales that contains more than one billion tonnes of accumulated coal resources.


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Tasos Katopodis

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Tasos Katopodis has some 20 years' experience in project direction, project management and senior line management roles. He is also a Principal Environmental Consultant with GHD in Newcastle and is the manager of the Newcastle Operating Centre, including offices in Ballina, the Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Port Macquarie and Singleton.

Position: Operating Centre Manager, Newcastle
Tel: +61 2 4979 9999

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