The town of Echunga and its surrounding region is a quiet and picturesque part of South Australia. With a history going back to 1839 when Europeans first settled the area, there is a lot of history packed into a small, sleepy region. The name of the town was derived from the Kaurna word “Ityangga”, meaning "over there.” Only 14 years after settlement in 1852, an extensive vein of gold was discovered and Echunga became the first proclaimed goldfield in South Australia.
This discovery led to a gold rush. Unfortunately, though, it did not last very long, with the digging exhausted and all but abandoned in under 12 months. Later discoveries in 1853 and 1854 led to smaller and even shorter-lived rushes. In 1868 more gold was discovered at nearby Jupiter Creek, which proved to be a much larger and long-lived venture. The two areas go hand in hand and are largely considered to be one region. Within the region is the SAPOL Training Reserve, used for developing and training SA’s best in blue.
Following the release of a recent tender, the Metcalf Group (SA) put forward its bid and ideas for redeveloping the amenities site for the reserve. Wanting to bring it forward and ensure adequate infrastructure for the future, on of Metcalf’s experienced Project Managers, Owen Belton, prepared and presented the proposal.
“Its exciting to have won this tender and to be able to be a part of providing something to the South Australia Police,” Belton said. “We are looking forward to a project that, although primarily involving hidden infrastructure, piping and concrete, will remain for years to come serving the men and women in our state police force,” Belton continued.
The reserve amenities will also benefit from new timber louvres and a forward deck, allowing those in training everything they need and more. With no sacrifice in quality, safety or environmental care, the project is due to commence in mid-February and will be one to watch.
Metcalf Group (SA)’s Managing Director Mr. Gary Metcalf commented; “The Police do a lot for the community and we are able to give something back by competitively pricing this work and ensuring that it is done right.”
Metcalf Group (SA) has a proven track history of successfully renovating and restoring commercial and public Government buildings in addition to building high quality homes in South Australia. Regardless of the scope of works, public infrastructure like this is a key deliverable and output of the Company. With a 30-year-old family-owned history, the Company has a strong focus on quality, safety and environmental care in everything it does.
About the author: Dan Hadley (MBA, BCOMM, IMC) is a Senior Management Consultant and Economist for JLB based in Adelaide, South Australia and works regularly with Metcalf Group (SA) to assist in best practice outcomes. His services include specialties in quality systems, risk, strategic advisory services and economic consultation.