An Exhausting and Rewarding 100km for Lifeline

RCC couldn’t be prouder of members of our Newcastle team who pushed themselves to the limit for a worthy cause – the Newy100 team completed 100km in 18 hours to raise awareness and a staggering $50,000 in funds for Lifeline Direct!

Alan McCully and Adrian Connell, both from our Newcastle office, were part of a crew of 15 local Hunter athletes who took on the Newy100 – This monumental 100km by foot event was organised to raise awareness and much needed funds for the suicide prevention and crisis support service, Lifeline Direct. The funds will go to the Lifeline Direct Newcastle and Central Coast branch who have been providing the local community with free access to counselling, crisis and bereavement support services for years.

“On behalf of Lifeline in Newcastle and the Hunter we were honoured to have the Newy100 team choose Lifeline as their charity partner. The fundraising team is very lean and work extremely hard to raise funds to sustain the centre so we are extremely grateful for the monies raised which will support our local centre in Islington.

I was very fortunate to be present over the 18-hour event and witness the camaraderie and determination of the Newy100. And the final 10km, what a wonderful sight; the community support and connection synonymous with what Lifeline represents.”

Julie Wicks – Regional General Manager, Lifeline Direct

For the weeks leading up to the event, RCC’s extended family and the wider Newcastle community showed an enormous display of support that certainly helped the team surpass their initial $10,000 goal. Alan, RCC Project Engineer and brave Newy100 finisher, said the incredible generosity just goes to show how much the issue of mental health and support services like Lifeline resonates within the local community – and particularly the construction industry.

“Mental health affects so many families, particularly those working in our industry. Organisations such as Lifeline are so important for our community – they literally save lives. The reason I wanted to get involved was not just the personal challenge but because the money raised stays within the local Newcastle community.”

“To say we are grateful and humbled is an understatement.”

Alan McCully – RCC Project Engineer

The team also invited the local community to join them for the final 10km, 5km or 2km of the mammoth 100km event, which generated another huge display of support, despite the rain.

Congratulations to the Newy100 team for your huge achievement; RCC is certainly proud to have two of their own showing such a selfless commitment to the community!

More About Lifeline Direct

Lifeline Direct is the local delivery arm for Life Australia and is an amalgamation of local offices that share administrative and other support services. The Newcastle and Hunter regions are particularly underfunded, so any donation large or small is very much appreciated.

Click here to show your support for the Newy100 and to donate to Lifeline Direct Newcastle/Hunter.

Read more about Lifeline Direct’s services.

 

 

 

$140K For The Children’s Hospital at Westmead

Our generous extended family have donated more than $140K to The Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead. This incredible fundraising has been led by RCC’s Industrial team, who are known within our business for their great hair… as well as their big hearts!

Last night more than 40 staff lost their hair for Bandaged Bear and presented The Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead with the donation. Only a few weeks ago the team decided they would like to raise funds for the worthy cause in the lead up to Christmas, committing to shave their heads to generate donations.

Claude, RCC’s General Manager of Industrial, said the generous donation had started with the team themselves and then received support from family, friends, clients and project partners who got on board for the charity;

“Donations from our business partners including subcontractors, suppliers and clients highlight their generosity and how aligned our entire extended family is in our values and commitment to giving back to our local community. I’m extremely proud of the team; its humbling to see them apply the same commitment and passion to this cause as they do to their work every day.

It means a lot to everyone at RCC knowing we have been able to give back to an organisation that touches the lives of so many sick children and their families. We had a choice to shave our heads, but the kids don’t have any choice in being sick… We are grateful for what the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation do each day and being able to be part of that is really rewarding”

Claude Concha – General Manager, Industrial

Claude, whose young son also volunteered to shave his head, said that he was proud to work for a family-based company that encouraged community contribution and to be surrounded by likeminded people who all wanted to jump on board and do something meaningful.

Michal Cohen-Noble from the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation said she was overwhelmed by the figure and grateful for the donation;

“there are many things we can do with an amount of money like this. It’s just absolutely unbelievable” and said such a significant contribution could be used in so many ways; “with this amount we can fund many different things like high priority equipment, on our list that could potentially help in critical emergency care surgical theatres, a fellow which would help any of our departments further the education of our doctors”.

Michal Cohen-Noble – The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation

 

 

More about the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is able to care for 84,000 sick children and their families each year as a result of community support and fundraising.

Learn more about their valuable work.

 

 

Oran Park’s First Commercial Topping Out

Project milestone celebrations are always special, but the recent Topping Out Ceremony at Oran Park celebrated the towns first standalone commercial building and raised funds for a worthy cause.

To mark the completion of the structure on the future TRN House building, Greenfields Development Company, TRN Group and the wider project team joined RCC to see the ceremonial tree craned onto the roof slab.

Our Project Manager, Michael said that being able to share the day with wife and daughter was a hallmark of the collaborative environment and culture on the project;

“Greenfields Development Company share RCC’s family values and it’s rewarding to be working with them, the entire consultant and subcontractor team and the local community so collaboratively”.
Michael Ryan

Mark Perich of Greenfields Development Company in Oran Park Town said, “Once complete, TRN House will be the first A-Grade equivalent standalone commercial space offered for sale or lease in Oran Park Town”.

TRN House will stand alongside the existing Oran Park Podium retail and commercial precinct and will be the latest addition to Oran Park Town’s growing commercial hub.

The event was also an opportunity to promote Pink Up Oran Park, a breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaign supporting the McGrath Foundation, which has seen several sites across Oran Park Town turning a shade of pink during the month of October.

 

 

Experience for Constructions’ Next Generation

Our Snackbrands project at Orchard Hills hosted over 180 students from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) last month, offering them an immersive tour of the site, as well as a series of presentations from our site team.

“I just wanted to pass on a big thank you for coordinating such a great site visit for the students last week. The feedback was amazing. One student was so impressed he’s sent a thank you note of his own with his CV!

The diligence displayed by the RCC team, ensuring every student was signed in and inducted, coordinating manageable and safe group sizes and then escorting each group around the site speaks volumes about RCC’s unwavering commitment to site safety and planning”

Craig Barry – UTS Lecturer

These Construction Management and Civil Engineering students represent the future of our industry; we are proud to be involved in their transition from classroom to construction site and give them a firsthand insight into safe and sustainable construction practice.

 

 

Working Together For A Shared Future

NAIDOC WEEK 2019 – A CHANCE TO REFLECT ON HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER FOR A SHARED FUTURE

NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity each year for all Australians to collectively commemorate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year, under the theme of VOICE TREATY TRUTH, Lets work together for a shared future, RCC is reflecting on our contribution to this shared future.

Generating local education and employment opportunities to create long-term industry engagement is part of the legacy we want to create as an Australian owned, family business. We see every one of the thousands of workers on our sites each day as members of our extended family. as such, hearing that working on our UTS Central project has made a difference in the lives of two Indigenous brothers, Andrew and Jason Huckstadt is incredibly rewarding –

Jason Huckstadt said that his time on the project has given him confidence to work in the industry; the Richard Crookes team have been great with teaching and supporting me with gaining experience in construction. Being here gives you confidence that you can do the work and do it well.”

Jason started on site, after his older brother Andrew had gained valuable experience as part of the team; Working here with the Richard Crookes fellas on this project, having the structure of coming to work each day, has helped me turn things around… Knowing that other trades coming in are depending on me doing my job right makes me really proud, and it’s good to see the building progress the way it is.” (Andrew Huckstadt)

Andrew also said that the benefits of working on the project extend past his career and his own future, as he sets an example for his three children, I’m showing my own kids what a working father looks like.”

 

If you want to hear more about the Huckstadt brothers’ experience on the UTS Central project, click the image to check out the full article written by the University of Technology, Sydney.

ARTICLE: Finding a future on the UTS Central work site

 

At RCC, we take great pride in our work; we want our legacy of exciting quality buildings to also drive education and employment opportunities, increase industry engagement and build stronger economies for a brighter future. Hearing the positive long-term impact our delivery of UTS Central has had on members of the team and their family makes the nearing completion of this project even more satisfying. We aim to increase training, employment and supplier opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on every project and to enrich our workforce and industry through inclusion, understanding and appreciation of traditional cultures.

“As a proud family owned and run business, our values are embedded into the RCC culture and we remain committed to making a positive contribution to the communities we live and work in. We appreciate the importance of recognising the traditional custodians of the land on which we deliver each project, including the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, on which the UTS Central development now stands. We also recognise that every project is an opportunity for us to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and contribute to education and employment outcomes which extend beyond project delivery to create a long-term sustainable legacy”

Jamie Crookes
Managing Director – Richard Crookes Constructions

 

 

Wollongong Juniors Name Our Crane

We appreciate feedback on our delivery; but it also means a lot when our clients acknowledge RCC’s commitment to making a positive community contribution and giving back on every project…

“We much appreciate the effort that RCC has put into the ‘softer’ side of project delivery; this highlights the character and values of your company”
Blake Preston – Senior Manager Project Delivery
University of Wollongong

RCC is currently on site at the University of Wollongong (UoW) delivering Molecular Horizons. We are excited to be delivering this important education and research facility and we’re committed to being part of the campus community during our time on site. In recognition of the valuable work of the Early Start Discovery Space and Kids Uni organisations who are situated on the UoW campus, RCC has run a Name the Crane initiative to engage the children in this exiting construction project.

Name the Crane

RCC started the campaign by introducing students, teachers and parents to the Molecular Horizons projects, construction and the purpose of the crane on site! The children all enjoyed the video of the crane being erected and making cardboard cranes with our site staff! The kids were asked to choose a name for the crane and submit a drawing and we were overwhelmed with how impressive the entries were!

The crane is now called Orion, which highlights both the talent and compassion of this cohort who chose the name in honour of their classmate of the same name who was recently injured! Orion is also a prominent constellation which is an apt name for our very tall crane!

To celebrate the success of the initiative and present the Early Start Discovery Space and Kids Uni with gifts to be enjoyed by students and their families we held a Name the Crane BBQ. Our site team thoroughly enjoyed cooking a BBQ and introducing the children to our excavator!

For RCC, each project we deliver is about more than a quality facility for our clients; it’s about enjoying the journey with our entire client, consultant and subcontractor team and engaging with the local community to generate positive outcomes for all stakeholders and give back!

 

University of Wollongong Molecular Horizons Project

RCC will be responsible for the design finalisation and construction of Molecular Horizons at the University of Wollongong, Wollongong campus.

This development involves site excavation and establishment works as well as the construction of a 5-storey educational facility up to for 15 researches. The facility will contain:

  • office and administration areas
  • meeting and conference rooms
  • research and chemistry laboratories
  • animal house
  • astronomy and chemistry roof platform
  • pedestrian bridge between Molecular Horizons and the adjoining IHMRI (building 32)
  • reconfiguration of the eastern portion of P7 car park to accommodate 13 accessible spaces
  • associated landscaping and public domain works including learning and gathering spaces and gardens
  • building identification signage

 

RCC talks ‘Growing Our Regions Well’

RCC was proud to sponsor and participate in the recent Property Council of Australia (PCA)’s ‘Growing Our Regions Well’ event. We were honoured to discuss the vision for the Hunter and Central Coast regions with representatives from across a range of disciplines who will, together, contribute to the growth and prosperity of the area.

Giving back to our industry and the communities we live and work in is important to RCC; As a 100% Australian owned, family business we take great pride in knowing that every project we deliver provides the social infrastructure required for our local communities to thrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Feedback on RCC Safety & Values

At RCC, the safety of staff and the community is our highest priority. It is embedded in our culture and our behaviours. We are extremely proud to have received community feedback acknowledging our commitment to safety and company values.…

“We live opposite UTS and every day we watch the work that you guys are doing building on the new UTS building on Broadway. Working for many years in an organisation where the safety goal was zero, safety was drilled into me! Watching your site, the evidence is there that you value safety through the way the building materials are organised and how the workers move around. We moved into the area just before demolition began so we have been with you guys from the start!

 

We googled you today and we both watched your corporate video to find out about who you are, and we agree that RCC is walking your talk and living your values! We got to thinking there is no point in simply saying that to each other and that we should tell you too…so thus am sending this email to say well done for all the good work; we see the Crookes family values are shining through. All the best for the rest of the build”

Eimer & Michael

 

Want to know more about RCC and our Values?

Want to know what it’s like to be part of the RCC family? Find out from our best assets, our people…

 

RCC Values

Operational throughout NSW and the ACT, RCC is a private, family owned construction company that has been delivering projects as promised; on-time and budget, safely and to the highest quality since 1976.

We value our heritage as a family business and we’re proud of our family values. Launched in early 2014, our values were the result of a companywide survey undertaken by our personnel to determine what we believed to be the most important attributes of our company and our people. RCC takes pride in these values; they reflect the culture, character and the vision of our company and help guide our individual and collective behaviours.

To find out more about our company values and who we are check out our website: richardcrookes.com.au

 

More on the UTS Central Building 2 Project

The UTS Central Project includes the redevelopment of Building 2 and the extension of Building 1 (UTS Tower) podium to redefine the main entrance to UTS. This unique project will likely become a landmark building and offer students an urban precinct which will include new teaching spaces, a library, learning commons, research space and a retail area.
This development is a significant component of the broader UTS City Campus Master Plan and will create additional connections within the campus and further enhance the student experience.

Key Features include:

  • Twisting Cantilevered Tower
  • Green Roof Space and winter gardens
  • Super Lab
  • Double Helix Access Stairs
  • Numerous Atriums and Void Spaces
  • Curved Double Glazed Façade

This development is being delivered in a live environment in the middle of an operational University Campus and within a busy retail, residential and transport hub within Ultimo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RCC Inducted into the FBA Hall of Fame

Family Business Australia (FBA) hosted their annual National and State Awards ceremony this week in Alice Springs, recognising family businesses and their contribution to Australia’s success. FBA’s awards program celebrates and recognises the achievements of family owned Australian businesses and their positive contribution to the community, economy and national culture.

The FBA Hall of Fame Awards have been running for almost 20 years and are a peer-reviewed commendation bestowed at a state level by Family Business Australia. RCC is honoured to have our achievements and community contribution recognised by FBA and fellow family run Australian business peers.

We look forward to attending the 2019 FBA National Conference and the opportunity to be considered for the coveted Distinguished Family Business of The Year Award.

To find out more about Family Business Australia and our fellow Hall of Fame recipients click here

 

Regiment Structure Complete

RCC met University of Sydney staff on the level 9 roof slab of the Regiment building yesterday to celebrate completing the structure! We took a moment to reflect on what has been achieved since breaking ground 6 months ago, as the ceremonial tree was craned onto the roof slab.

The only thing more impressive than the rooftop city views is the 650 tonnes of steel, 19,5000m2 of formwork and 6.650m3 of concrete that went into the structure! That’s enough concrete to full up an Olympic swimming pool twice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be completed in February 2019, the new development will offer affordable student accommodation, community facilities and teaching spaces.

The new $68.6m mixed use redevelopment will consist of:

  • 656 single dorm size rooms of Circa 10.1-10.3m2 min. 5% (33 rooms) shall be Accessible/Adaptable rooms Circa 13.8m2
  • Two 2-bedroom apartments for the Deputy and Head of Hall Accommodation
  • Communal lounges, games, study and music rooms, flexi spaces and kitchen facilities
  • Shared toilet and bathroom amenities
  • Shared communal laundry facilities
  • Bike Storage for 175 bikes and staff end of trip facilities.
  • Teaching hub, technology hub, theatre and teaching rooms.
  • Office space and meeting rooms for Student Accommodation support staff
  • Public landscaped forecourt, private courtyards and landscaped roof terraces

Find out more about RCC’s Student Accommodation project delivery…