Building to give back.

Making a positive impact on our community is at the heart of RCC’s culture. We strongly believe our business, and the wider construction industry, has a responsibility to contribute to building positive, resilient communities.

We were privileged to work with the Starlight Children‘s Foundation on the recent refurbishment of the Starlight Express Room at John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. Now, we’re thrilled to be working with them again to fit-out the Starlight Express Room at Canberra Hospital. Uniting with talented industry partners at cost price to transform the hospital experiences of sick kids and their families to create a community within the hospital that provides a sense of escape and a feeling of stepping out onto your back deck.

Starlight is Australia’s broadest-reaching children’s charity with Starlight Express Room’s in every children’s hospital around the country. Hospital can be a scary place if you’re a kid and Starlight Express Rooms are filled with fun and laughter and feel a world away from the reality of hospital. It’s where Captain Starlight helps kids forget about everything they’re going through and just be kids.

Once the refurbishment is complete, sick kids and their families will enjoy a completely transformed space that features a new children’s play area, parent’s lounge area, video game play zone and outdoor zone.

Shining a light on refurbishment works at John Hunter Children’s Hospital

Measuring the positive impact of previous Starlight Express Room refurbishment works is important to RCC and our passionate delivery partners. Our friends at Starlight helped shed some light on the impact of these works on the local Newcastle community.

At any one time, two Captain Starlight’s are working from the John Hunter Children’s Hospital’s Starlight Express Room, with additional Captains working on the wards doing ‘Rocket Rounds’ to visit kids who may be too unwell to leave their beds.

In 2022, Captain Starlight created over 2000 positive experiences for sick kids, in the newly refurbished room. From arts and crafts to video games and visits from VIP’s the Starlight Express Room provides a space to keep sick kids and teens of all ages happy and distracted. It also provides a physical space for Starlight to film and produce daily segments for ‘Starlight TV’ which is broadcast to sick kids across the hospital and those too unwell to visit the Starlight Express Room. In 2022, Starlight launched an online home for Captain Starlight, Planet Starlight. As a live and fully interactive platform, Planet Starlight connects hospitalised kids with the fun of Captain Starlight, anywhere, anytime. Some of the live shows are broadcast online from the team in the John Hunter Children’s Hospital Starlight Express Room.

Projects like these are the cornerstone of our commitment to our community. By supporting our charity partners through the delivery of outcomes beyond the build environment, we leave a meaningful and lasting legacy. Thank you to all the generous and talented local contractors and consultants who will help us deliver this rewarding project.

Five cyclists are pedalling 100km for Tour de PIF – can you help us reach our goal? 

37% of homeless people – which is 45,000 – are under 25.  

Five of RCC’s fitness guns are taking on the 2023 Tour de PIF, cycling up to 100km to raise vital funds for the Property Industry Foundation – an independent not-for-profit that increases the number of bedrooms available for homeless youth. 

In 2022 alone, the Property Industry Foundation built or refurbished five houses, developing 20 more bedrooms to the market for vulnerable youth. This brings their total to 238 bedrooms, home to 335 young people, and 86,870 safe nights of sleep.  

We are proud to be joining the ranks of corporate partners around Australia who are fundraising to bring 44 bedrooms to life in 2023. When asked about the importance of having their own bedroom, a former resident said, “I had my own room, my own things and people who cared about me. Every morning I knew that my Carer and I could have breakfast together, and after a while, I actually wanted to come home for family dinners.  

The best part was that I knew I wasn’t leaving any time soon. I could start thinking about my future. I made good friends in the Lighthouse community and my Carers helped me to start making positive choices.”  

We’re so proud of our incredible riders who are taking part in this challenge – pushing themselves, and raising much-needed funds at the same time! 

If you’d like to support our riders, please click here: https://give.pif.com.au/fundraisers/richardcrookesconstructions  

Collaborating to deliver landmark projects in Western Sydney.  

The landmark Penrith Panthers Rugby League Club’s Western Sydney Conference and Community Centre (WSCCC), and accompanying Pullman Hotel, are now complete.  

Congratulations to our client, Penrith Rugby League Club, Turner Studios, Census Advisory and wider construction partners for bringing this remarkable project to fruition.  

The project stands as a dynamic addition to Penrith and the broader Western Region of Sydney. The Western Sydney Conference, Community Centre & Hotel delivers a premier conference facility accommodating up to 1000 attendees, a community centre, supplementary amenities and an underground parking facility.  

The complementary 5-star, 153-room Pullman Hotel offers top-tier facilities to guests, who can enjoy grand foyers, lush interiors, a wellness centre with an expansive view, two cocktail bars and fine dining experiences.  

Joe Amodeo, Project Manager, commented on the new development, “Roughly 2.2 million residents live in this area – we’re proud to have worked closely with the Panthers Group to deliver facilities that will improve the service offering for the Penrith community and guests.”  

With more than 120 employees employed at the Hotel, 75% of which are local to the Penrith LGA, RCC is proud to have played a part in future-proofing this up-and-coming region.  

Providing an atmosphere of sanctuary that inspires confidence and promotes a sense of normality through excellent care.

A major redevelopment of St John of God Richmond Hospital is currently underway, with the RCC project team transforming the hospital into a 21^st century campus providing comprehensive, accessible and life-changing mental health care.

Special guests including The Hon Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (Retd) and St John of God Board Members, James McMahon and Jack de Groot joined our project partners to celebrate the official completion of the redevelopment’s wellness centre.

Evidence-based design principles and processes brought the centre to life, with the gym, indoor pool and other essential facilities created to ensure future clients and their carers’ mental health care needs are met.

Works continue on the construction of 6 new buildings across four connected pavilions, which will contain 112 single occupancy rooms plus associated staff clinical areas with generous guest lounge areas and break-out spaces. These facilities have been designed to help St John of God Richmond Hospital’s clients to overcome the disconnection and isolation that comes with mental ill-health, and assist with reconnecting to family and friends.

The completed redevelopment will provide an atmosphere of sanctuary that inspires confidence and trust and promotes a sense of normality through excellent care. We look forward to working with Silver Thomas Hanley and St John of God to bring the campus to life.

Supporting 400 jobs in one of the fastest growing areas of Western Sydney. 

Australia Post and Goodman have celebrated the official opening of the newest Parcel Facility in Kemps Creek, NSW, servicing Greater Western Sydney and the surrounding region. 

Designed and constructed to meet the demand of the growing digital economy, the 33,680sqm infrastructure features a parcel processing facility, delivery centre and an extensive conveyor and sortation system which can process up to 400,000 parcels per day. Supporting 400 jobs, it will create a more efficient delivery network for local residents.  

The innovative facility was launched by Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen and Australia Post Group CEO/Managing Director, Paul Graham.

“As the member of McMahon, it is fantastic to see such a facility open in our backyard. It’s a testament to the investment in Western Sydney that needs to be provided. The job and business opportunity for our community will be enormous,” said Bowen.  

The new building was designed with sustainability front-of-mind including drought-resistant landscaping, rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging stations LED lighting and recycling facilities.

“We’re delighted to have delivered this facility for Australia Post and Goodman. Our Industrial sector continues to move from strength-to-strength as a core business unit – as the needs of communities continue to evolve, we remain agile, collaborative and focused on the unique characters involved in the delivery of these successful projects,” reflected Mitchell Kay, Project Manager.  

Well done to all involved in this cutting-edge project.