Recovery and stabilisation of John Fawkner Secondary College after the head contractor entered liquidation mid-program, with undocumented asbestos and contaminated soil discovered during incomplete demolition works.
John Fawkner Secondary College was one of three live VSBA school projects — alongside Vermont Secondary College and Nepean Special School, together worth $14M — thrown into crisis when the head contractor entered liquidation, leaving partially completed works and uncertain subcontractor commitments across all three sites. At John Fawkner specifically, incomplete demolition had exposed substantial latent conditions, with undocumented asbestos and contaminated soil requiring removal before works could safely resume.
A rapid site assessment established a baseline of scope, cost and risk, critical trades were re-procured and the delivery package renegotiated, and a risk-based framework was applied to prioritise works — including value management with the VSBA and the school to quarantine contingency for the additional asbestos removal, with scope reintroduced once the risk was realised. Structured communication protocols were established with the VSBA, school leadership and subcontractors throughout. The project was back online within months with no safety incidents, completed within the revised budget envelope and with minimal disruption to the school community, and the recovery was commended by the VSBA and school leadership for its clarity, speed and stakeholder alignment.
