For three years, Moe Alawwa has been an invaluable part of the Capital Works team at Macarthur Memorial Park, responsible for the project management of the construction of Sydney’s first greenfield memorial park in over 80 years.
The memorial park being built over the 113-hectare site will solve the critical shortage of cemetery space across metropolitan Sydney, as well as provide previously privately owned land as recreational space to the growing population of south-west Sydney.
Moe and the team have solved significant building complexities in the construction phase. He was keen to work on the project and be part of a sustainable large-scale development, with multiple elements including civil, landscape, building, bush regeneration and heritage preservation.
The role involves “a lot of co-ordination, meeting with contractors on-site and managing the landscaping team at Macarthur Memorial Park, as well as checking quality, building costs, program and stakeholders’ requirements and value engineering.”
The memorial park has been designed to be sustainable, with 37% of the land earmarked as Cumberland Woodland and recreational space. Solar panels have been included on the maintenance building, which means less demand on the network.
Construction materials include stone, timber and concrete, meaning less steel is used in the construction and the build is more economical. Stormwater harvesting and the six dams on site will be utilised, along with additional land acquisition to assist with irrigating the site to minimise water usage.
Moe is excited to be part of this “once in a lifetime project. It has been a joy to be a part of the construction of this brand-new memorial park for the community, that has been two years in development and planning and one year of construction.”
The land is being sensitively managed with a hydro-mulching technique used to spray grass instead of laying turf. The team has been responsible for installing over 150,000 plants on the site and will commence planting 500 street trees to assist with greening the former agricultural site.
An ecologist has recommended trees and plants for bush regeneration. The choice of native plants will assist with improved soil, biodiversity and the reduced use of herbicides. Any regrowth of the invasive African olive that has been eradicated, will be managed by drone spraying to minimise labour requirements.
During his time at Macarthur Memorial Park, Moe has learnt about specific religious and community requirements. This is not something that would normally have to be taken into consideration in a traditional construction role.
Burials in his native Jordan are quite different, and the community is not provided with a wide variety of choice. “At Macarthur Memorial Park, we think of the community first and their cultural and religious requirements. All denominations and religions are catered for here.”
Visitors will be able to patronise Macarthur Memorial Park for memorial, recreational and educational purposes. The park has been designed to be inviting with gardens, sculptures and interpretation walks for everyone to enjoy.
Moe is keen to share the sites’ unique history with the broader public. The ongoing custodianship of the Dharawal people will be featured in the Timeline Walk which will outline the history of the site through a series of interpretive markers throughout the park.
There is a First Nations Six Seasons trail around the Cumberland Plain, that reflects the seasonal plants as well as fauna active at that time of year. Recreational visitors can also stop by the café overlooking the waterway for a relaxing coffee and meal.
The sites heritage will be preserved and respected, from the historic outbuildings through to Aboriginal artefacts, that will be protected with a no build area. The story of the archaeology of the colonial heritage will be shown in an exhibition inside the renovated Coach House, built in the mid-1800’s.
The team at Macarthur Memorial Park is working closely with a heritage architect on remediation and preventative measures to stop further deterioration. The outbuildings include a barn, dairy, wool press, water tank and quarters for carriages which were converted into a shed.
Moe’s friends are happy he is involved in such a rewarding and multi-faceted project. The organisation has a positive work culture and team that he works with are supportive. He has encountered some challenges along the way. “Every day there is something new.”
There are multiple contractors to manage each week to ensure the works are done as per the contract. There is scope creep, changes in construction and new design requirements that are continually placing pressure on the project.
A milestone was achieved in December 2023, when the civil works were completed on time and on budget in a difficult environment of increasing inflation and materials cost. This is an ongoing concern to manage the budget without sacrificing quality.
Moe is passionate about the project and shared it is “very rewarding when you see the ideas come to conceptualisation and it comes to life. A plot of land and grass is being transformed into a fully functioning space for the community.”
To find out more about memorial space at Macarthur Memorial Park, call 1300 086 689 or email info@mmpark.com.au
