Following a Government community consultation session, Master Builders Victoria (MBV) has commended Multiplex for engaging with the local community as work commences on a new 1000-bed Centre for National Resilience at Mickleham.

While up to 80 per cent of the portable buildings used to house newly arrived travellers in quarantine will be prefabricated off site, Multiplex is keen to source building materials for the project from the local area where possible.

MBV CEO Rebecca Casson said it was pleasing that Multiplex has shown a willingness to engage with the local community to supply materials and resources, providing a much-needed economic boost to the local area.

“Up to 800 workers could be involved in this exciting project on any given day, even though a large portion of the facility will be fabricated off-site,” Ms Casson said.

“That’s not necessarily 800 workers on site but involved in the project at its peak point.

“MBV is delighted to hear that some building materials and resources may be sourced from the local area, giving the Mickleham community and broader Hume local government area a welcome financial boost.

“Workers are already on site engaging in early construction works as they crack on with this important project with the aim of protecting our state from future lockdowns and the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 virus.”

Ms Casson said Multiplex had also established early procedures to limit construction noise on site by implementing noise mitigating measures, such as noise barriers around machines, and fitting noise negating devices around specific machinery.

“We believe that the appropriate checks and balances will be in place to ensure that construction noise is monitored and limited wherever possible,” she said.

Ms Casson said Multiplex will be using the ICN gateway for local trades and suppliers to register their interest in the project, and she encouraged interested local businesses to sign up.

Anyone interested in being a potential supplier or working on site is asked to reach out through the www.buyingfor.vic.gov.au website and/or via e-mail at [email protected].

MBV has also commended the City of Hume for positively engaging on the new National Centre for Resilience project, which is being established in its local government area.

“The new CEO of the City of Hume has shown great leadership in her early engagement on this important project.  It is pleasing to see local, state and federal governments working together alongside the building and construction industry to deliver a project that will be for the greater good of Victoria and our country,” Ms Casson said.