Media release – Grant Dreher, CEO, TasTAFE, 23 August 2023
$27 million Water and Energy Trades Centre of Excellence opens
TasTAFE today unveiled its $27 million Water and Energy Trades Centre of Excellence with an official opening of the facility at Clarence Campus.
The state-of-the-art facility will train more than 1250 TasTAFE students and apprentices annually across plumbing, electrotechnology, air conditioning and refrigeration, with numbers set to increase in the future.
Training in the renewable energy sector will be a future focus along with Certificate II qualifications and short courses to enable those working in the water and energy sectors to upskill.
TasTAFE CEO, Grant Dreher, said the building, funded by the Tasmanian and Australian Governments with support from industry, was part of TasTAFE’s commitment to rethinking its physical and digital infrastructure.
“The 5000 square metre centre features workshops and classrooms spread across two levels, with the centrepiece a sandpit and three-storey high stack designed to replicate the pipes and inner workings of a multi storey building.
“The facility features the latest technology and equipment and has a structural design and learning spaces that are flexible and able to be reconfigured as needs change.
“The centre has been developed in partnership with key industry partners including Master Plumbers Association Tasmania, NECA Education and Careers and AMCA.
“A number of industry bodies and businesses have also provided sponsorship and in-kind support for the centre, ensuring that equipment is to the very latest standard.
“With our learners in mind, the centre is supported by a Water and Energy Trades Education Plan.
“Industry partnerships are a key feature of the plan to ensure our training is aligned to their workforce development needs. Industry Advisory Groups will have a critical role in identifying opportunities for future training.
“The Centre is located on the same campus as TasTAFE’s construction and allied trades training, creating a trades training hub at Clarence Campus and increasing opportunities for cross-trade collaboration
“TasTAFE is excited by the opportunities this centre offers in providing our learners with the very latest training to ensure they are job-ready,” Mr Dreher said.
The centre features a three-storey stack to replicate the pipes and inner workings of a multi-storey building. The structural design of the building and learning spaces are flexible and able to be reconfigured as needs change.
Water and Energy Trades Centre of Excellence facts
The building
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5000m2 of floor area with workshops and classrooms spread across two levels.
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A three-storey stack designed to replicate the pipes and inner workings of a multi-storey building.
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A 30m x 10m sandpit with a depth of up to 2.5 metres at his deepest point. The sandpit will be used for sanitary, water and drainage training as well as trench-shoring and pipe installation.
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Structural design and learning spaces are flexible and can be reconfigured as training needs change.
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Electrotechnology equipment in the centre is the latest and most modern available, keeping safety at the forefront.
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The building itself also provides a learning experience for students. Some of the services normally hidden in a building are exposed so that the workings of the infrastructure can be seen. When it rains or there is a storm, students can see and hear how water moves around the building.
Sustainable features
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The swale that runs under the bridge outside the front of the centre provides flood mitigation and water purification.
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Rocks and reeds planted by TasTAFE Horticulture students divert water to a pond where it is cleaned before it goes to stormwater.
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Tanks buried in a settling pond also allow water run-off to be recycled and used again in the building.
Construction and design
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Architects: ARTAS Architects in partnership with FMSA Architecture
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Construction: Hansen Yuncken
Fun facts about the build
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60,000 site hours worked
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502 workers inducted
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70+ workers onsite at peak
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More than 10,000 tonnes of subbase installed to building pad
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5000m2 of floor area
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108 tonnes of structural steel
Media release – Felix Ellis, Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth, 23 August 2023
$27 million Centre of Excellence to support our water and energy sectors
The Rockliff Liberal Government is getting on with our plan to build a better TasTAFE and put the learner at the centre of our training system.
TasTAFE’s new $27 million Water and Energy Trades Centre of Excellence on Hobart’s eastern shore will provide the latest industry-aligned training to support Tasmania’s water and energy apprentices.
Minister Felix Ellis said it was fantastic to open one of Australia’s newest state-of-the-art training facilities during National Skills Week.
“The Centre will deliver training for more than 1250 TasTAFE students and help Tasmania maximise its competitive advantage in water and energy, offering training in plumbing, electrotechnology, air conditioning, refrigeration and emerging renewable energy sectors,” Minister Ellis said.
“Designed and developed in collaboration with industry, we know how important it is that Tassie’s tradies of the future are getting the training they need so they can build this state.
The 5000 square metre building features a sandpit and three-storey stack designed to replicate the pipes and inner workings of a multi-storey building, as well as the latest electrotechnology equipment.
“This investment by the Rockliff Liberal Government, supported by the Commonwealth, will mean future generations of industry professionals have an even better training experience.
“TasTAFE’s future is very bright. Our $118 million plan will deliver new buildings, more teachers, better access for rural and regional TasTAFE students, and new training opportunities so more Tasmanians can get a job.
“This Centre of Excellence is just another example of how our reforms and investments are supporting TasTAFE to modernise and put the needs of its learners at the centre,” Minister Ellis said.
The $27 million centre is funded by the Tasmanian and Australian Governments with support from industry.
The opening of the WET Centre of Excellence follows the recent completions of the new Student Services Learning Hub on the Clarence campus, and TasTAFE’s first ever Cyber Security Operations Centre at the Campbell Street campus.
